Love and Hate
by Lily272
Summary: Seto has to come into school during the afternoon and overhears the most beautiful music full of sadness and decides to help the singer
1. 1 The voice

**He guys I finally managed to do a rewrite of this story. I'll have six chapters and I update two at once today for the start and then one a day. I hope you'll like it.**

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**Love and hate**

**1. The voice**

It is late in the afternoon and still, I'm just entering the school building. And why do I do this? It's just because I have to pick up some papers for a silly project that is nothing but a waste of my precious time. I haven't been able to take it with me during school, since I have been at work all morning. Due to that the most annoying teacher that I ever had the displeasure of meeting, forces me, Seto Kaiba, to waste some of what little time I would otherwise have been able to spend with Mokuba. And for what? Just to come in after school hours and pick up some project papers with information I'm bound to know already. The teacher is only in school at this time of day because of some private lesson with some piano player from our school who, accordingly to her, has some talent. I have no idea who it can be, how can there be anyone here that can actually afford to pay for private piano tuitions. Or is he or she so good that the teacher does it for free? Well I highly doubt it but even if, it isn't any of my concern anyway, so I won't waste my time pondering over it further than my annoyance. If this student wouldn't be, this obnoxious teacher would be home and most likely wouldn't have bothered to stay longer just so I could come in and pick something up.

While I go closer towards the music room I can hear the small little piano the school has. Considering that the old piano in school isn't the best by a long shot, the music that is coming from said room now is truly incredible. But it's sad, so sad that for some reason even I have to fight tears while listening to it. I don't enter nor knock on the door. How could I possibly interrupt something this beautiful? The player, whoever it is, is just too good, he or she is simply put amazing. Not that I would ever say it to said person, it's unusual for me to even think this way in the first place. But then again, how can I not while listening to such heavenly sounds.

I have never heard so much feeling in a song though. Even though I do appreciate such music at times and I´m well adapt to play a few pieces myself, I'm usually not particularly fond of quiet classical music. To be more precisely, most of the time I don't really care about any kind of music since I simply lack time and interest. But this song is different, it is just so emotional. The only thing I find strange is that most parts repeat themselves, it isn't like one long piece, rather like two short ones switching and repeating. However, they fit together, they complete each other and flow into each other flawlessly. Still for a pure melody piece it is rather strange. Either way, the feeling behind the song is so strong that I don't even mind about the strange repetition in the composition, nor do I feel the need to add any lyrics to it. It would fit, considering the repetition, but the music itself is layered with strong emotions and I doubt that some random words could do it justice, nor can I think of a single singer who's voice might be able to convey such emotions.

After the song is finishes, it's quiet for a moment until I hear the teacher say, "That was perfect like always, but very different from your usual way of playing. Say, could it be that there are lyrics to this one?"

It is quiet again. Does this mean the student has written it? Otherwise the teacher would surely know the song and not need to ask for the lyrics. The way she asks also makes it strongly sound like it isn't the first time this student has composed something as perfect as this song. Why doesn't this student answer? It's irritating not to know his answer.

After all, what words can possibly match with such sadness, what words can describe the pain behind it? A part of me hopes that no one dared to sully this piece with a few meaningless words, but another part of me wonders if whoever could convey such emotions in his song, might be able to do the same with lyrics that go with it. A melody that has brought ME close to tears, if added with matching words, maybe even telling the tale behind the sadness in the melody, might be interesting to hear. I just really hope that it won't ruin the song which I still fear it will.

"Would you sing it for me? I'd love to hear it, after all you sing as good as you play. I just wish I could hear it more often and wouldn't need to be persuaded for hours every time. You sing just like an angel and no one would believe that you have such a voice in you if I told them." The teachers voice said again and added after a pause, "Don't worry, I promised not to tell anyone and plan on doing so until I can pursue you to sing and play in public, so quit the glare."

So there are lyrics and this piano player can sing as well. I wonder why he or she isn't saying anything? Must have just given a nod or something, after all the teacher knows the answer. But why does this person not speak?

I heard the teacher sigh and she says, "It really is just too bad that you´re this shy about your music. Especially since you never stroke me as a shy type before with your big mouth and all. But listen, I'll just go and get a coffee for myself from the teachers lounge, I'll be back right after, just play whatever you like."

I press myself as close to the wall towards a corner as possible. I don't want to be seen listening in and I also want to hear more. Whoever this is in there, is too good to play on the crappy old school piano. If that someone can really sing as good as the teacher has said, I might offer to let them practise on the grand piano in my mansion. Not because I'm kind and nice, on the contrary, it will be because I'm selfish. It is such beautiful music and I find it relaxing to listen to it. Even if the emotions in it nearly made me cry.

It is quiet for a moment again and I start to wonder if this person will play again at all, rather than what he might play for me next. Then I hear the start of the same piece. I hold my breath, whoever it is, is alone. Maybe I get to hear the lyrics. And so I do, and when I hear it I can hardly believe my own ears. A voice, as beautiful as an angel´s voice must be. Just like the teacher had said but with so much sadness and pain. And the words seem to come from the singers very soul.

No one can hear my cries  
no one can see the pain  
or the tears in my eyes  
That I will hide with shame  
there's a smile on my face  
why can't you see it's fake

Now the damage is done  
I can no longer run  
Life will never be fun  
The past can't be undone  
I love them but they hate  
It's already too late

Scars on body and soul  
game lost my body sold  
Innocents gone forever  
can be given back never  
Wounds might heal given time  
Scars will never be fine

Now the damage is done  
I can no longer run  
Life will never be fun  
The past can't be undone  
I love them but they hate  
It's already too late

Try to hide not to cry  
Disappear from evil eyes  
Where can I find the light  
In the middle of night  
How can you undo hate  
It's already too late.

Now the damage is done  
I can no longer run  
Life will never be fun  
The past can't be undone  
I love them but they hate  
It's already too late

After the last word has been said a little end melody comes and the song stops. This time I have tears in my eyes. I never thought a simple song could move me so much. I, Seto Kaiba, the cold CEO that walks over dead bodies if he needs to, cries because of a song. Who is this person? It is a boy, that much I know, but who? The voce is somewhat familiar so why can't I put a name to it. I need to know who he is and I need to know why he is singing like that! I need to know if someone is hurting him, causing him such great sadness that it is leaking from every single note he just played, and resonated in his voice like he had never known another emotion than a torturous pain and sadness. If there is someone hurting him, I'll probably help him just to see how his music will be once he finds some happiness.

I wipe away my tears quickly before anyone can see them and knock before entering, and then I simply can't believe my eyes. There, right in front of the crappy, tiny, old school piano sits no other than Joey Wheeler. I quickly look around but there is no one else there who might have switched positions with him. His eyes while he's looking at me are filled with sadness mingled with a bit of fear. What the hell is HE doing here, he is not the type for THIS, for crying out loud. He was in a gang, he was in more fights than most and he definitely is not the smartest one to walk the earth. HOW on earth did HE write such beautiful music? How could HE make ME cry? And most of all, why doesn't he smile like the happy go lucky mutt that follows his master without a worry in the world like he usually does? I never would have guessed that the word sadness even existed in his vocabulary, never mind in his heart, but right now it was so plainly written in his eyes that I find it heard to believe that I've never seen it before and all I want to do right now is put myself between him and whoever brought such sadness in his eyes. And not just because I like his music.

I never wanted to admit it, but his rough and wild nature, that just can't be tamed, intrigued me for a while. He is rather irresistible, with that slightly petite yet strong build combined with the endlessly burning fire in his eyes. The same fire that currently seemed to be flooded and quenched with an endless ocean of sadness. I have been wondering if I should try to hit on him but I have never been rejected. How could I? I never liked anyone enough to try. I have practise in rejecting but not in being rejected and I wasn't keen on learning that with him. On top of it, I'm still sure that I'm the last person in the universe he could find a liking to.

Not that I'm afraid of being rejected in general, after all Seto Kaiba isn't afraid of anything, it's just that I don't want to lose the last bit of hope for my puppy. Because even if he isn't the smartest, I still would do so much to be with him. Unfortunately though he hates me, always has and always will. And I don't really want anyone to know that I love the one that hates my guts. And at any rate, if I ever tried, I might lose the opportunities to make fun of him and ad fuel to the fire in his eyes and watch them burn even brighter while he only looks at me, fighting with me like with no one else. In such moments he's mine, even if I'm the enemy, all his attention and thoughts are mine.

Now that I've heard his voice and how he can play, I'm even more amazed by him. And I want him even more than before, even when I find it still hard to believe that he had made me cry with a simple song. For no matter how much I might have fallen for him, I'm still Seto Kaiba and NO one ever has been able to make me cry for years. Not even come close to it.

The words are coming back to my mind _no one can see the pain, that I will hide with shame_ or _scars on body and soul game lost, my body sold_ and then _I love them but they hate It's already too late_ what does it mean? How did he come up with such lyrics?

He can't be in such a situation, can he? If yes, how can I find that out? He will never tell me, will he? The way he looks at me changes back to how he always looks, the fire burning brightly in his eyes in anticipation of a fight. "What the hell are ya doin' here, moneybags? Don't ya have some other´s life to fuck up with ya company?" He asks with his Brooklyn accent, that isn't even noticeable when he sings, as I just recall, maybe that's why I was unable to put a name to his voice, or it's because his voice sounds rougher when he speaks angrily to me compared to the soft and angelic sound that comes from him when he sings with so much feeling.

"Our teacher asked me to stop by and pick something up. I thought it to be a total waste of my time but I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't think that I would get to hear such a talent, especially not coming from you." His eyes widen as he stares at me and all colour runs out of his face.

"Ya heard that?" He asks me, looking down to the floor, all the feistiness gone in an instant, all of the fire vanished from is eyes once again.

I look at him for a moment and say, "Since I doubt that you will be honest when I ask why you wrote such a song, I will only tell you one thing. If anyone is hurting MY puppy, I WILL find out who and make sure that it stops and whoever it is, WILL pay. So you better just spill it now."

"What the fuck are ya talkin' about? I'm NOT ya fucking dog, so cut it out. And the song meant nothin'." Joey was back to his feisty and rash behaviour, at least something. Even the fire in his eyes was back once again. Maybe I was wrong and it is just that he has thought about it after hearing something about abuse in the news or something similar to that. But I can't risk it, I need to be sure.

"You are my pup and I will protect you." Joey looks like he's worrying about something. Or is he worrying about someone? '_I love them but they hate' _It nearly feels like his voice is stuck in my head repeating different parts of his song over and over while trying to decipher them. Showing me images in my mind about possible sources for inspiration, most of which I dearly hope to be a far cry from what truly happened to him.

Still, that one part of the song might be the reason why he is worrying. Is he loving whoever is hurting him? If that's the case, it will not be easy to get him out of it. But maybe I can make a deal with him. Since he loves whoever is hurting him, I can maybe talk him into letting me protect him.

"Tell me who it is and I will find a way to protect you, without getting the person into trouble. Don't tell me and I will find out and if I have to trail you myself 24/7! I will find out and I will make them pay dearly. Do you understand?" He looks at me but not in fear, the fire is still burning with defiance and I already know that he will not give me a name.

How can he want to protect someone that's hurting him? How can he love someone that is so cruel to him? We look at each other for a moment but get interrupted by the teacher returning. "Oh there you are, sorry for the wait." She just says and gives me the papers I need, while I look one more time towards my puppy.

He couldn't talk as free in front of the teacher, not now, so I only say, "Think about it until tomorrow. I meant what I said."

And with that I leave but as soon as I'm in my car, I phone Roland, my right hand man and the only one I can entrust with the task of trailing Joey and to find out who is abusing him as well as to contact me as soon as he finds out anything. Roland doesn't ask any questions, even so he must find it strange to hear my request. No one knows how I feel about my puppy. Even Mokuba hasn't found out yet. He keeps asking after fights, why I hate him so much? Not understanding that I just want them to think that I do just that. Still, Roland doesn't ask a single question and just does as ordered like always.

I know I will regret this decision to some degree in the near future. But this is not the time to be selfish and afraid of getting hurt. My puppy needs me and I will do anything to protect him and if it means that he finds out about my feelings and rejects me, taking the last bit of hope I have, then so be it. As long as he is safe, I don't care. Still I drive back to work and get started on my project, hoping to hear from Roland about Joey's situation at home fast. But there is no news for the rest of the day or the night.

Once I reach the school the next day, I already see him standing in front of the building. Yugi is just going in but Joey stays behind. I wonder why, is he waiting for me? Will he tell me who is hurting him and will he let me protect him? I highly doubt it, taking his stubbornness into account. But there's only one way to find out. I walk up to the building while keeping an eye on my blond beauty. As soon as he sees me, he walks towards me. He obviously really was waiting for me and looks a little nervous but determined.

I wonder what he will have to say. Will he try to deny everything? Is it maybe true that the song had no meaning? No, with so much emotions and the sadness that was in his eyes yesterday, there is something more to it, the only question is what? I go towards him and see him going more to the left, looking around to me a few times. I see a quiet spot to the left and go towards it and so does he. Once there, he is just staring at me but before he can say anything I ask him, "What will it be? Will you tell me who is hurting you and let me protect you or do I get to punish that person?"

Joey looks down and I put my hands on a tree that is standing right behind him, one hand on either side of his face and say, "Just tell me. I'll find out anyway." I smile at him, a smug smile, showing that I'm confident in keeping that promise, all the while actually enjoying that I'm this close to him.

"And what if I don't want ya to do either? Why are ya tryin' to help me anyway, ya hate my guts." He answers, at least he isn't denying that he does need help.

"I try to help you because, against your faulty assumptions, I do sort of worry about you a little. I want you to be happy and not sad, I want you to compose happy songs, because I don't hate you - I like you." I hope that he doesn't get the last part wrong or rather that he doesn't get it right. After all he still hates me and doesn't trust me. Maybe he thinks that I sort of grew fond of him during our duels against one common enemy or the other, not enough to call him a friend, but enough to not wish him too much harm.

I try to gently lift his chin and make him look into my eyes to help me decipher if his thoughts are favourable or not. In that moment he catches me off guard, something that isn't easily accomplished, but suddenly I feel his knee raised up into my stomach with considerable force. I just about can stop myself from screaming or dropping to the ground but he manages to push me away due to that. Far enough that I couldn't touch him if I wanted to without stepping closer again. I'm also slightly bend forward due to the pain and thus he is looking slightly down on me with a bright and threatening fire in his eyes as he says, "Well, screw ya. I don't need ya help or anyone's else's for that matter. I can take care of myself. And anyway, I might be dumb but I ain't dumb enough to trust a jack ass like you."

I see him turn and just say, "I'll still find out what's wrong and I will find a way to get you out of whatever trouble you're in."

"Just go to hell." He said without even turning while walking way.


	2. 2 The pain

**2. The pain**

Two days have past since I heard my puppy's song. Two days in which I fear for his well-being. Two days full of waiting for some word of Roland, not that I haven't heard his voice, he sure had heard more then enough of mine complaining to him about his failure to gather any useful information on this topic. I start to wonder if I might have overreacted. Maybe I just saw ghosts after hearing his song. And yet, I still hear his voice in my head. '_It's already too late_' those words repeated themselves over and over and over, not only in the refrain, but also in the last course. They seemed to be the key of the pain that was in the song. Scares, that could never be altered, wounds that might heal but will never be forgotten. I fear that I didn't see ghosts, and he just won't accept help because he truly believes it to be too late anyway. Combine that with the part about shame in his song it's clear that he sees no reason to get help from anyone, why talk about something he finds shameful if it won't do any good anymore anyway?

But if it is too late, how can he still smile and joke with his friends like there is nothing wrong at all. Everyday since that day he is still the same old Joey that I've come to know and love. A smile on his face, a trustworthy but wicked smile. And with a bright fire in his eyes that depending on the situation goes from mischievous over threateningly to furious. I doubt that a single one of his friends has any reason to believe him to be in any sort of trouble. I also doubt that a single on of them has a clue of how much sadness he hides behind his smile. That is, if I'm correct with my assumptions.

I give a sigh and rest my head back against the chair, trying to calm my thoughts. He doesn't look like he needs any help but the song just won't get out of my head. It just doesn't fit together at all. No one can hide such unbelievable amount of pain and sadness that well. Maybe I really do need to call Roland to stop following Joey, maybe I was mistaken and he is quiet safe and happy with both family and friends and the song didn't have it's inspiration in reality.

'_why can't you see it's fake'_ why do I keep hearing his voice in my head? Why does the sadness in it still course me to feel the urge to protect him when he looks for all the world like his smile must be genuine. How could happy go lucky Joey Wheeler with his trusting eyes and loyal demeanour be in a situation that was even remotely as dark as the words of his song? But most of all, how dare he to distract me with those inconsistencies. How dare he not to act the way his song went or sing the same happy go lucky music that would befit the always present fire in his eyes.

I take the phone into my hand and actually plan to call Roland off his track, Joey is probably doing just fine and might even laugh about me taking his song so seriously. But I just can't, his voice just won't stop spinning in my head and I put the phone back down. His eyes had shown pain, right after he had been singing that song and I walked into the room his eyes where filled with a whole ocean of tears. With another sigh I try to clear my head and look towards the screen of my laptop, trying desperately to shut up Joey's voice with my work. It only works to some decree. I manage to get some work done, but the voice is still there, nagging, reminding me of all sort of possible things that might happen to my puppy.

At least I know that I won't have to face Mokuba's always present and watchful eyes tonight.

He noticed during the last nights that I'm worried about something but so far assumes it to be about work. I just don't know for how much longer I can let him think that. He knows my work enough, since he's involved in the company, to figure out that it can't have to do with work soon. But tonight he's off to spend the night with a friend from his class. It was arranged a few days ago and I had insisted he go even though he did mention this morning that he could stay if I rather not be alone with my worries. Silly boy, he knew I wouldn't ask that of him. I would never let him worry with me, even though I fear that courses him to worry about me even more at times. Well, it can't be helped, I can hardly tell my kid brother that I fear that his friend Joey is being abused by someone he loves. Maybe a secret lover, or a relative, someone Joey wants to protect even at the cost of his own well-being. Unless of course his song just coursed me to see ghosts were there is nothing.

The distraction of Joey's song is such a big distraction that I'm done with my work much later then usual and it's long past sunset before I sit in my car and drive myself home. My phone rings and I pick it up without letting my eyes leave the traffic and that for not knowing who is calling me.

"Mister Kaiba," to my surprise it's Roland's voice, I was hardly expecting him to call me at all. But maybe he just wanted to know if there was anything in particular he should watch out for since there was nothing that he thought of any interest to me.

"What is it?" I simply ask hoping that he isn't calling because something bad happened to my feisty little puppy.

"Let me the hell go ya jerk." I hear a familiar voice shout in the background and I know that something did happen.

"There was a little problem with Mister Wheeler senior, I already informed the local authorities, and organised that you're in charge of the minor in question until further notice from child services." Roland informs me. "Where would you like us to bring him."

"He ain't in charge of me ya jerk, let me the hell go." Joey's angry voice was heard in the background once more.

"Bring him to the mansion, I'll be there shortly, probably before you." I tell him. "And I expect further information's there."

"Of course sir." Roland simply replies and I end the call to rush home, not caring about speed limit at all.

Once there I tell the first maid I meet to prepare the guest room next to the large music room. I much rather have him in the room next to mine but I assume he rather have my grand piano close to him and myself as far away as humanly possible. Especially since he obviously still didn't want any help, considering the complains I heard in the background.

I also tell her to inform Roland to leave the guest together with another guard in said room and to report to me in my study alone. I need to know what happened to Joey before I face him and a moment for him to calm down before our talk might be helpful as well.

I sit behind my desk in my study while I wait for Roland. It doesn't take long before I hear the sounds that accompany my 'guests' arrival. He's still complaining and considering the sounds he's still fighting back quiet hard. Nevertheless it doesn't take long until Roland knocks at the door before he enters, knowing that I have little patience for courtesies when I'm expecting him and don't want to wait for him to enter only after receiving my permission when he knows that I'm waiting for him. It's quiet different when I'm busy or don't expect him to arrive but when I'm waiting for him, I already loath the time he constantly waste to knock on the door at all.

"Mister Kaiba," He greets me politely, annoying me further but at least he starts to inform me right after without the need to be questioned. "Mister Wheeler is save and sound in the room you prepared for him. His father is probably in jail as well as a few others that where at his apartment for a game of poker. It seems these mans where quiet used to gamble with each other and considering the sounds that started shortly before I called you, they are also quiet used to the fact that whenever the older Wheeler is short of money he's gambling with his sons body. The five man tried to hold the young man down and to undress him, while the older Wheeler bagged for another game to stop them with a new gamble. I took a few of the mans I had close by and entered the building as soon as possible, I forced the door to their apartment open, already having informed the police. Social services are informed as well, like I said, and seem to be pleased to have found, with this arrangement, a suitable temporary placement for Mister Wheeler. They probably arrive on Monday to discus a permanent living arrangement for him."

"The permanent arrangement will be the same as the temporary one." Is all I say and already write a short mail to my head lawyer to insure that. "Is there anything else that happened and what made you think that the man where used to it."

"I heard them say to the young Mister Wheeler that," Roland stopped for a moment, "That he should know by now that it's pointless to fight back. The man probably was upset about the black eye he had by the time I entered the building which he hadn't had when he entered the place earlier this evening."

Despite the seriousness of the situation I can't help but grin a little at the thought of anyone even trying to tell Joey Wheeler to just submit to anything. It was laughable. And yet, that was just what I will have to achieve, I want him to submit to my wishes and stay here even though I am quiet sure that he will refuse and I will have to find some why to make him stay out of his own free will for I'm reasonably sure that the leash that can hold my feisty little pup has yet to be forged.

"He seems to be quiet well though, all things considered." Roland continues. "He is still upset but mostly about the fact that I just walked in and he tried to stop me from coming up here rather energetically, he doesn't really want you to know about any of this. I assume he is ashamed of it. But whatever the reason, he is still fighting instead of feeling despair about what happened even though it obviously happened before. Just those times there was no one there to help him."

I'm quiet for a moment, wondering what I'm supposed to do now. I'm not surprised that he doesn't want me to know, he probably doesn't want anyone to know and might even assume that I'll make fun of him about this in front of the whole school. I might be able to make him stay by threatening to do just that unless he stay's, but I doubt that it would be the best way. He has to stay with me and it would course him to hate me further, and even fear me for the power I have over him with that information.

I slowly rise and thank Roland for the help and ask him to ensure that the property will be especially well guarded tonight since I fear that Joey will try to sneak away no matter what I say. After that I slowly walk towards the room Joey is in. It's quiet in there, so quiet that for a moment I fear he already has run off. I knock and wait, certain that he won't appreciate me entering without waiting for his permission. It never comes though, I knock again, wait for a moment and then walk in regardless of his silence. It won't help if I wait patiently in front of his door until the end of time and I fear that's how long it would take. Well, that or until his stomach starts rumbling which will probably be at any moment. Again I can't help but grin even though it might be a bad time since he looks up to see me enter with an amused grin. He seems to have calmed down before but the hatred look that grows stronger now that he sees me proves that he does not appreciate my grin. Well probably he just doesn't appreciate to see me period.

"I heard of what happened." I inform him and see his face pale slightly. "Didn't you say that you could keep yourself safe?"

"I can." He still insists. "I did fine without ya help before."

"It didn't sound that way." I say as calm as possible. "Either way, you'll have to stay here for the time being."

"I have to do shit." He says and stands up again from the bed he was on. "I'm outa here."

"Social services said that you're to stay here." I tell him.

"Tough luck," He just answers, "My dad didn't and I ain't listen to anyone else."

"He isn't in charge and most likely in jail right now anyway." I say and watch his face pale further.

"Why would ya do that to him?" He asked outraged.

"He sold you." I remind him, fighting not to show my anger about the fact that he defends such a man after everything while he despises me due to a few insults. "He gambled with your body and watched them rape you who knows how often, how can you even ask? How can you defend him?"

"He's my dad and it ain't his fault that he got a bit of a gambling problem." Joey defends him with a slight blush.

"A 'bit' of a gambling problem? He gambled with his own son! That's more then a 'bit' of a gambling problem Joey." I tell him hardly able to contain my anger. How dare that man to hurt Joey and how dare Joey to defend that man after those actions. "He hurt you and probably would do it again in the near future or do you really believe he would stop unless I make damn sure that he will never leave prison again which I most certainly will."

Joey pales even further coursing him to look more like a walking corpse then I thought possible, "Why on earth would ya get involved? Just stay the hell out of it, he's a great man, if ya know him. And he stayed by my side after mum left me. She never even bloody wanted me and probably wouldn't even care if she heard what he did. But he does, he's sorry he begged them to leave me, he's just a gambler and can't help it so quit pesterin' him."

"If he cared so much, then why did he let it happen in the first place?" I ask him.

"Because he can't help it." He tells me again, "Just leave him alone, leave us alone and let me the hell go."

"I can't." I say and try very hard to stay calm. It's a good thing that I have plenty of experience in hiding my emotions and staying calm even when feeling upset or even angry. But I can't remember being this furious, not counting the times Mokuba had been kidnapped of course. But the feeling I have now comes frighteningly close. I'm worried about Joey and I'm furiously angry with his father. But most of all I'm hurt because after everything his father did, I'm the enemy for trying to protect Joey from him. "Firstly because I'm already involved and if social services finds out that I was unable to take care of you they might see me unfit to take care of my brother. It was hard enough to be seen mature enough to take care of myself never mind my brother and only managed that due to the company and my position there. I will not risk loosing my brother because of your stubbornness." I know it's true what I tell him but it is one of the less pressing reasons. I'm sure I would find a way to keep Mokuba no matter what happens between Joey and me tonight. Even if he runs out of the mansion and freezes to death I could blame it on the trauma he had that my brother doesn't and wouldn't have problems to be seen as a fit care taker of Mokuba since I did that perfectly for years.

I mainly tell him this reason first to get his attention and I hope that it will be a more pressing reason for him to stay, then any of my others. He's fond of my brother and knows that he wouldn't want to be separated from me. "But there are other reasons that should make you consider staying here without complains. I don't need to beg anyone to not rape you since I'm not like your father. On top of that I can offer you some comforts he can not, like the grand piano that is located in the music room next to this room which you may use as you please during your stay here."

He watches me for a moment. His eyes had moved towards both sides of the room when I talked about a grand piano an I make a mental note to show it to him soon, it clearly could be a reason for him to stay. But now he's just looking into my eyes with a look on his face like he's going to strain his brain. The same kind of look he sometimes has during a math test. "Why on earth should I trust ya." He asks me, "And why would ya bother keepin' me around. I don't even get why ya bothered to send Roland to annoy the hell out of me by followin' me in the first place."

I have to admit that it's a good question but I can hardly answer it truthfully. Even though I am wondering how he would react to a confession of mine. I assume that he'd either believes me to make fun of him or would hate and probably fear me even more. After being raped multiple times by man I doubt that he could ever consider a male partner, never mind me. "What do you think would Mokuba do if he found out about what was happening to you and that I assumed it to be and still did nothing to prevent it?" I ask him but the doubtful look on his face clearly says that he doesn't believe that to be the only reason. I had hoped he'd fall for that alone but aren't surprised that he doesn't. Mokubas fondness of him and the rest of the geek squat had never triggered my help when any of them was in trouble before. But that doesn't mean that I give up trying excuses. "And I also want to find a way to force you to stay. I like listening to your music and since your room just happens to be right next door to a grand piano I assume that I will get to hear much more of it in the near future." He still doesn't look convinced.

"Why should I stay?" He asks me. Maybe he does swallow that load of crap and is just wondering about the possible answer for the new question already. "I don't wanna be here just to keep ya happy with my music. I don't even want ya to know 'bout that."

"But I do." I remind him.

"What ya gonna do if I go?" He asks me now still sounding feisty.

It's still obvious though that really does assume me to make fun of him in front of everyone, but if he thinks me capable of making fun of him for what happened today or just really doesn't want anyone to know about his obvious love for classical piano music I don't know. He does look really worried though. "Nothing I don't want to do anyway. But if you stay I might do something else then what I originally intend to do. Call it a little repayment for letting me hear you play every now and then. A deal."

"What deal" He asks in a weary voice, clearly not trusting me at all.

"I have to say that I still don't understand how you can defend your father." I start and already see his eyes light up with fire and his mouth open to defend him again, "Don't you dare to interrupt me." I order before he can do just that and add, "I'm angry at him for harming you, I want to know what your music will sound like when your less troubled about what happened and as happy as you always seemed to be. I want to hear a happy melody from you, but most of all, I want to hear your music as often as I can and the way he treated you he put that at risk. I already send a mail to my lawyers to ensure that he will never see the light of day again."

"Don't ya dare to do that." He orders rising his fists ready to fight me even though he must know it's pointless. I've beaten him often enough to prove my strength and even he should learn his lessons at some point right.

"I said don't interrupt me or do you not want to know what you'll have to do for me to send another mail telling them otherwise?" I ask him and see him shout his mouth tightly, still glaring at me after all I did to help him. "I want you to stay until your 18. I want you to live here at the mansion and follow my rules. They're not as bed as you probably assume. I simply want you back here every night before the doors are looked at nine o'clock sharp. I also want you to always inform me or Roland about where you're going as well as have one of my security guards accompanying you for your safety. Apart from your ordinary obligations, which are only to go to school, do you homework and do your uttermost to reach at least reasonably acceptable grades, I only have one other obligation you'll have to fulfil, I expect you to play a song for me at least three nights a week when I have time to listen to it. If you manage to promise to do at least that, I will write my lawyers and tell them to try to convince the judge that your father is addicted rather then guilty of a wrong he could have prevented and that he needs help rather then punishment. That should keep your father out of prison and he'll end up in a hospital where his gambling problem can be addressed properly until he has it under control. And trust me, my lawyers are the best, they will ensure that your father will receive the help needed or get him locked into the darkest parts of prison to never see the sun again, it's your call."

I hate the look of disgust he gives me. He truly does hate me and I know that for putting him into such a position I currently probably even deserve it. After all I'm well awear that with his kind of personality, this doesn't leave him with a choice at all, he'll safe his father and ply right into my selfish desires. He doesn't know that I mainly want him to stay where he is save. I need him to be where I can protect him the fact I also would really love to hear him play a couple of times, is only a minor motivation to put him into this situation and I most certainly wouldn't do any of this if it wasn't the only way to ensure his safety sufficiently.

After a moment he grins and then answerers, "I've got a couple of conditions for ya before I agree to that. I want to get out of here every weekend to spend time with my pals, and I don't mean the afternoon, I mean over night too. With all that crap about social services and so on I doubt ya let me stay during the week so I'll be fine with Friday and Saturday nights. Second, I wanna play what I want and more then just the three nights, I wanna play when I feel like it, and what I feel like playin'. And most of all, ya can't make more rules up along the way. Just the things ya just said and nothin' else. No special requests for playing when ya got visitors or me doing something else ya want."

"What else should I want." I ask him.

"What a surprise, the guy got double standards, I get shouted at when I interrupt ya but if ya interrupt me it's just peachy or what?" He asks in return clearly upset. I have to admit that he does have a point and stay quiet to let him continue. "And just because ya don't know what ya might come up with for a request now doesn't mean there ain't anything coming up. I want ya word that ya won't pester me 'bout anything else. And most of all, ya can't tell anyone 'bout my music or what happened tonight with dad and his gambling pals."

"Fine." I agree. I doubt that there will be more I might talk him into. The only other thing I would want, I can't demand and won't ever receive from him anyway. I want him to love me.

I hold out my hand to shake on the agreement like businessman but he eyes it wearily for a moment. I'm already considering to either say something or just lower my hand again when he finally takes it and says, "It's Saturday, that means it's my night of freedom, I'm out of here."

"Don't you even want to see the piano?" I ask trying to get a bit more time with him before he runs off again.

He stops on his walk out and looks at me. Once again he has that intense look like he is trying to think really hard. I can practically see the smoke rise from his stubborn little head, "Fine. But I ain't gonna play for ya."

I just walk out and over to the door a little to the left right next to his and enter the room. I hear him take a deep breath once he can see the piano and I turn around to see his face. His eyes are wide open and he slowly walks closer towards the white piano with a bit of gold on the sides. I wonder if he can stop himself from trying it out right away. I really wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't. The way he played he must love the music and the grand piano is an old but beautiful one and the sound is equally good. I have someone here to tune it twice a year so it should have a good sound right now, even though it's due to be tuned again soon.

Once he stands in front of it he opens the keys and runs his finger over them lightly without letting them make a sound. I never thought it possible but I am feeling a tiny bit of jealousy that he runs his finger so carefully and gently over the keys instead of my body but I fight it down with ease. It's just an instrument after all. Nothing more, it's ridicules to feel jealous about it.

I hear the first note being played. Seemingly at random. Then he starts with the lowest and slowly moves his fingers higher, this time letting every key make a sound. Once done he looks upset for some reason. He presses one key again and then mumbles, "What a waist." He turns and looks at me angrily, "I know that ya busy, ruining my life and what's not, but ya could at least tune it every now and then."

I raise my eyebrow. The sound wasn't bad, I couldn't hear any problem with the notes, not that I'm an expert on tuning but if there would be something really wrong with a note I would notice. If the key isn't in tune it's by less then half a note, he can't possible hear the difference that quickly. Even the guy that tunes it for me always say that it hardly needs to be tuned at all, so why is Joey so upset? "I have it tuned twice a year it's fine. I really don't understand your problem."

"Great, ya just like Miss Johnson's. Ya think ya know about music just cause ya can read a note or two but can't even hear it when a note is all wrong. I mean the school piano was worse when I first played it but still."

"May I ask how it came to that anyway? Considering how little you like me knowing about your love for this kind of music I doubt that you would just walk to Miss Johnson's and ask her to give you private lessons." I ask him while he already starts to tune the piano without asking for permission. Not that I would dare to stop him, the way he played I believe that he has a finer hearing for the slight differences in frequencies and that the note is ever so slightly off as well as that he's more appt to tune it then most.

"She heard me." He answers. "I broke into school a few times to play it and one day she came in late since she had forgotten somethin' and then she heard me. And I never asked her for teachin' me anythin', she made me do it or would have told the headmaster that I broke in."

"Why did you break in the first place? And do you know why she more or less forced you to take those privet lessons?" I ask. I wonder what got him started with playing as well as what gave our obnoxious teacher the impression that she can teach him anything at all when it comes to music. He has ten times the talent she has

"Ya really like to interrupt don't ya?" He asks, but his voice is more amused then angry this time and I wonder if it's all due to the fact that he is still working on the piano, having found the second note that must have been a tiny bit off even though I didn't hear it yet. I'm quiet though, hoping that he's more likely to answer after a moment of peace as if I push him for it. "I wanted to hear it again," He finally tells me. "My mom used to play and she had a little piano which she took with her. Serenity sometimes could talk her into playin' for us. She never did it for me though. I don't think she was great at it, but she looked happy. I never saw her happy unless she was playin'. I think it was due to dad and the fightin' that she wasn't happy, but she liked the music and I was happy seeing her smile. I remembered that and every time we had music in school I saw the small piano and thought about it. It's about the same size moms is. I always wanted to try it out but Tris was always makin' fun of the music Miss Johnson liked and forced us to listen to. I knew he wouldn't be mean to me but I still didn't want to see his face if I told him that I loved the piano and wanted to play it. In the end I broke in about five times a week. Ya know, whenever I had the time really."

"And why did she make you take lessons? Where you already good even without ever having learned it." I ask, this time, after he stopped talking.

"I'm not sure. At first she didn't seem to care and just wanted to know where I learned the piece I played. I told her that I had no idea what she was talkin' about and that I was just messin' around. Ya know, I just recognize the keys by their sound and play the right one that way. I hear the melody in my head and know how to play it. Since I know how the keys sound. Don't know why she finds that so unbelievable." He tells me and I have a bad feeling I know where this is going. He must be some sort of musical genius considering that very few people can even distinguish the notes and name them right away. Well I'm not sure if he can name them but he still recognises each one and can put the right key to it which technically is the same. It's something only great composer like Beethoven for instance could do. A few others can too, some of them much less famous but still great musicians. The kind of musicians that actually have some talent rather then great looks combined with an even better management and choreographers to teach them a good dance show that overplays their lack of talent, like a lot of those modern pop musicians have.

But considering his aversion to math especially when it came to fractions - I remember how he once begged Téa in school to tutor him and how later that week she swore that he wouldn't learn it if his life depended on it, needless to mention that he utterly failed the test - and since the rhythmic with notes had to do with fractions, I fear that the music he creates will forever be lost for future generations. And as it turns out I am right, like always. "She freaked once she found out that I couldn't play a C minor since I had no clue about notes and forced me to learn them every single day after school. At least I was allowed to play a bit after she was done pestering me for the day."

"Did it help?" I ask hoping that he at least had learned something by now and might be able to write his melodies down at some point.

"Sure." He told me. " are the names and she told me where they are on the keys but I doubt that I get that right without help. Oh I also have no idea how to call the tiny black once in between but that doesn't matter as long as I know how they sound."

"What else?" I ask and fear the worst.

"She started to talk about whole notes and halve notes and I remembered fractions in math and well, I sort of spaced out and don't remember much more. Apart from her screaming at me every now and then for not even listenin' as well as threatenin' to not let me play if I couldn't answer her at least one question. Fortunately she liked listenin' to me and I'm always allowed to play anyway." The more he continues the more he grins like he had before, when he insisted that I can't force him to do anything else. Meaning, as I know now, I can't force him to learn notes before he is allowed to play. The grin increases when he sums up to the conclusion I had feared to hear. "And since I can play here now, I don't need to bother with that annoyin' bitch of a teach and her endless talk about notes."

What have I done!


	3. 3 The Time

**3. The Time**

Last night Joey left soon after tuning the instrument, I already had informed my securities that he was allowed to leave but that they better trail him and don't lose sight of him unless they want to lose their job. He just played a very short piece that I have never heard before he left and I assume neither has nor will anyone else ever hear it. The melody was sort of confuse but beautiful. Filled with fears and doubts as well as something similar to hope and I assume it reflectes how he might feel. He must be afraid but still he just stood there tuning and then playing, not fighting anymore. He just accepts what is happening, now that we have come to an agreement. He wants to protect his father and I keep my word and wrote my lawyer another mail right after he left and right before I got to bed to get some rest before he or Mokuba return and wonder how to explain to my brother why Joey is suddenly staying without destroying my brothers innocent mind.

I can't stop thinking about Joey, and worry constantly, since I woke up this morning, where he might be and what he might do right now. I know that he is save, since one of my man is trailing him unseen by his friends and right now probably watching the Kame Game Shop where the geek squat hangs around so often. If something would have happened I would have been informed, I'm sure of that. Still, I worry about how he feels. Considering his music and what I know about his private life, his smiles are probably mostly fake. Maybe sometimes his smiles are genuine, after all he seems to love spending time with his friends and they're probably a good distraction from the pain, but I still fear that most of the time he's just faking it with a perfection that even I couldn't have managed.

I hear a sound from downstairs and look at the time. It's four in the afternoon and I wonder who is home first, Mokuba or Joey. My bet would be with Mokuba considering that the deal said that Joey could stay out for five more hours and I assume that he will be just about in time or a little late. And of course I'm right. A little later Mokuba is standing in my office. "Hey Seto. How are things?" He asks cheerfully while still eying me a little worried.

"Fine," I answer still unsure of how much to tell Mokuba about Joey's new living arrangements. I doubt that lying to him would be a good decision though. "We're having a guest for a while. Or rather someone is moving in."

He stares at me shocked. He clearly hasn't been expecting that and I completely understand that. It is rather out of character for me to let anyone move into the mansion. Even the maids aren't permitted to life here and there are just a few small rooms with a bed for those who have a night shift in case Mokuba needs something during the night. I know I never call upon them but I still feel better if someone is there for him especially when I'm on a business trip and can't take him, which so far only happened once and just for one night but still, I like to always be prepared for everything and one never knows if Mokuba might need something during the night that I'm unable to do alone. I also don't like it when Mokuba's friends are staying a night and only permit it when someone from my security is watching them all the time, resulting in Mokuba always sleeping at a friends house and never the other way around anymore. They obviously feel uncomfortable with a security as a shadow.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" He asks me obviously truly believing to simply have heard wrong.

"Someone is moving in with us for a while. A little less then a year." I tell him just now noticing how short a time it really is. Joey is 17 and he only has to stay until his 18th birthday. I should have prolonged it for another year but it would have been hard to explain since he won't be a minor anymore and can't be forced to stay anywhere due to custody regulations.

"Who?" He asks too surprised to form a proper sentence. "Why?"

"Joey Wheeler." I answer. "His father is currently under arrest and until further notice Joey stays here since he's still a minor but not a little kid. To send him into an orphanage would be troublesome and they didn't have a place in a small group of teenager that are living together with only little supervision. I offered that he could stay here since I assume that you would like to have him for company."

"Why is his father arrested?" Mokuba asks me curious. "What did he do."

"So far it hasn't been proven that he did anything and my lawyers are on it so don't trouble yourself with it. By the way, Joey said that he'd be staying with Yugi last night so if you want you can give them a call and join until Joey comes back." I mainly offer that to ensure that Joey does indeed come back, not that it is certain when Mokuba is there, but he might be more likely to return when Mokuba seems to know that he's living here and it will become part of their discussions that he is living with me which means that I can be reasonably sure that his friends know after that and that Joey doesn't have a reason to stay away just to avoid letting them find out about this arrangement.

"Sure." Mokuba says already getting out his mobile phone to insure that Joey is still with Yugi and to find out where they are. I assume he just wants to go there because he knows that he won't get anymore information's about this from me since I would have given him said information's by now, if I was planning on giving it at all, and now he'll go pester Joey. I very much doubt that Joey will tell him the truth though. And even Joey doesn't know the truth about why he is here and I'm quiet sure that my brother didn't swallow the excuse I gave about that topic. He knows me as well as I know him and I saw on his face that he has another assumption already, I just hope it to be faulty.

A little later I'm alone once again and wait anxiously for their return much later that night and fear that this pattern will repeat itself endlessly for the coming month.

I find out how true that is during the next few weeks. Joey always returns from school between five to nine and nine o'clock in the evening. He hangs with his friends until then and does his homework with them too, as far away from me as humanly possible. He does play the piano every single night though and I always listen to it. Mokuba was astonished after the first time he heard him play and to my great relieve he was as shocked to find out that he can't write it down as I was and is currently pestering him about it. I might not be allowed to do the same, but luckily I never promised to stop Mokuba either.

Our teacher isn't very happy to have lost the opportunity to teach him in the afternoons but she compensates by teaching the whole music class how to read and write notes now. I'm the only one who knows why the teacher just grinned after Joey's mumbled 'Bitch' during the first lesson about notes. He was just about loud enough to be heard by everyone in class.

After he is living with me for a few weeks I walk towards his room just past nine and knock. He doesn't tell me to come in, like always I knock a second time and just enter. "I have news for you." He just looks at me questioningly but says nothing so I continue anyway, "Your father is sentenced to be looked up in a mental institution until a psychiatrist deems him to have his addiction under control. I organised that he already was transferred from the jail he was looked up in until the sentence was decided today into an institution with a very good reputation concerning addictions."

"And ya telling me now?" Joey asked, "Ya should have told me before, I wanted to be there for my old man ya jerk."

I knew he would say that. "Well it's not like you asked," I simply state hoping that he'll forgive me at least that, since I mightn't have assumed it for all he knows. "Anyway, the other mans that where present the other night will scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow and I doubt that they'll ever get out of jail again.

At least he doesn't seem to care much about their hearing or sentence. "Ya should have told me about my old man's hearin'." He complains with a pout.

"You could have asked me about it." I retort calmly. "I thought you mightn't want to be reminded of the events of said night and thought it better to keep you away from it. But like I said, you could have said something."

"Ya should have asked instead of assumin' somethin'." He still complains.

"Well, it's too late now." I simply state. "Anyway, if you want you can visit your father anytime you want. I organised a driver for you, the maids can point him out to you the next time you need him, and he knows where to drive you too see your father. It's a few hours drive so I doubt you'll be willing to see him everyday since you won't have anytime with your friends during the week if you do but it's still up to you to decide."

"I don't need ya to get me a driver just tell me where it is." Joey insists.

"Too far to walk, and you'd need to use three train and a bus at least to get there. A driver will be much faster and cheaper if you just quit being stubborn and accept the driver at least for visiting you father." I simply tell him.

"Whatever." Joey mumbles clearly unhappy about the situation. "Anythin' else ya want?"

I give a sigh before I say, "No, but if you need something for this room or clothing or anything else, just let me know."

I wait a short moment to see if he already has any requests but then I turn to leave. I'm just reaching out to open the door when I hear him say, "Kaiba?"

I turn my head and look at him questioningly just to see him sit on his bed and stare towards the floor with the same look he has when he thinks really hard about something. I wait for him to continue quietly fighting to keep my patients. "Thanks, I guess." He mumbles looking away before he continues with lots of breaks, "I mean, I know ya just meant to help. Even though ya didn't need to and I really didn't want ya to. I know ya meant well. And ya know, for letting me use the piano and, ya know, for giving me my space and not pestering me or makin' fun of me and the whole lot. I still wish ya hadn't, but still. I guess I get that ya wanted to help."

I watch him for a moment longer in surprise I never thought he would ever thank me for anything, especially not this, but I smile and say, "Don't mention it. I'm just being selfish and want to hear you play, that's all."

"Still, thanks." He mumbles not looking at me and then I simply leave. I guess it's more then I could have hoped for and I'm not about to wait for the next fight between us to break loose.

The next day's are a little better. Joey sometimes returns a little before nine. Sometimes even around six or seven and he eats dinner with me and Mokuba rather then his friends. Mokuba Is exited about it, he caught on to the fact that something really bad must have happened to Joey even though he doesn't know what it was, he still worries and is relieved to notice that he seems to be getting more comfortable in living with us. Mokuba also eyes me with that strange worried look in his eyes and I fear he assumes the true reason behind my help, the selfish one included. I like being near Joey and notice myself that I smile much to often when Joey is around to keep that particular secret from Mokuba much longer. But so far he didn't utter a word about it.

Joey is talking with Mokuba a lot in the evenings when he's around but he treats me like I don't exist at such times. Even though Mokuba is already trying to include me all the time when I join them while they watch a DVD or a movie on television. I usually don't have the time for that, and I still don't but I want to at least spend a little bit of my time with Joey as well as my brother while I still can and work longer during the nights to manage it.

I do worry that his 18 Birthday is coming closer with each passing day while I listen to Joey play the Piano every night, usually standing in the door to keep him plenty of space knowing that he doesn't like to have me too close. Mokuba is often around too but not as much as I am. He still isn't into that kind of music at all even though he always says that listening to Joey is actually nice considering the style he's playing.

I think we both notice that the music is becoming more calm and stable, less confusion in it and sometimes even a few happy notes. Our teacher is less happy since she doesn't get to hear it anymore and most of all, Joy still doesn't even try to learn how to read or write music. A few weeks after he starts visiting his father twice a week on a regular basis and right after Joey played a particularly happy and calming tune I walk a little closer and finally dare to ask him something I wanted to ask for quiet some time. "Could you play parts of that song a few times for me? I mean I know that I have no right to talk you into anything and if you don't want to it's fine, but if I watch you play and look at your fingers, while you play parts a few times over, I might be able to write down the notes. It might make our teacher ease up on you."

He looks at me in surprise and then asks, "Ya can do that?"

"I know the notes better then most, I'm just not as talented as a composer as you are." I explain, "I might need to watch a few times though to really see how you move your hands since you often hit multiple keys with both hands at the same time and I need to watch carefully to avoid missing a note that you play."

"Cool, what are ya waitin' for?" He asks me and I get a few sheets out of my ever present suitcase as well as a pen and he starts playing the start right after I look towards the key without having to prompt him.

It actually goes well since he watches my face rather then his fingers or the keys and he repeats short parts over and over with only a little break until I look satisfied with it and then he starts the next sort sequence. This way we don't even need to talk until it's all done. I must say that I'm sort of disappointed since I hoped it would let us get a little closer to each other but at least I get to stand closer. Once I'm done I say, "I think I got it all, would you mind if I try to play it from this notes and you listen to see if I didn't miss anything?"

"Sure." He says, "Go ahead."

I'm quiet surprised to notice that he only moves to the side a little but doesn't really stand up. I sit down next to him and start playing. He doesn't move and just listens. "It's fine." Joey tells me right after I stop, "But I wanna try sometin'. Can ya play this?" Right after asking that he plays a few notes and I repeat it after him. "Great, and now this." He tells me and shows me a few more, I try and he shows me again since I made a little mistake, much to my own embarrassment. "Great and now play both and add this." He tells me and shows me something else.

"Slow down," I tell him. "If it's that much I need to write it down, I've got quiet a lot of other stuff that I need to keep in mind."

He roles his eyes while I start writing it down and then I play all three parts after each other, it does sound rather nice but something is missing. "Play again." He orders and this time, right after I start, he joins in and it sounds much better with his parts. I can't say how happy I am that I can actually play the piano with him this way, I never thought it possible since he can't read notes and I can't play without them.

"Ya meant it didn't ya?" He asks after he added a few more parts to the piece he just created with a tiny bit of my help. It did take some time since Joey needed to teach me my parts and I had to write down the notes which I refuse to do until I had written down the notes he played before with me.

I look at him in surprise and say, "I always mean what I say, but please enlighten me what you mean right now?"

"That ya like me." Joey mumbles hardly coherent. "I mean, I always thought ya hate me, but ya can actually be quiet nice, ya know, compared to how ya usually are. I thought ya where trickin' me when ya said ya liked me, ya know, the night ya dragged me here."

"Of course I meant it." I say, "And why shouldn't I be reasonably nice since your forced to stay with me under one roof. It only be troublesome for both of us if we were at each others throat more often then not."

He looks up at me with the same thinking look I came to know by now. "Maybe, but I never thought ya would be nice anyway. I really thought ya hate my guts."

"Well," I say trying not to let him know how much I care that he seems to be happy about me liking him, "I don't hate your guts. And like I said, I always mean what I say." I look at my watch happy to see that I need to leave soon anyway to finish up a few papers. I don't really want to get into the conversation of me liking him anymore then this.

"Busy?" He asks noticing my look.

"Unfortunately." I reply.

"Can we do this again?" He asks me smiling, "I mean playin' together and ya writin' down the notes?"

"Of course, I could try to teach them to you too," I offer.

"Don't wanna." He replies grumpily, "I hate math and since Miss bitch mentioned the word fraction I hate notes, at least when I gotta write them down instead of just playin' them."

"I bet I can think of a way that makes you love fraction lessons with me." I tell him with a smug smile already picturing the situation that is the most obvious one considering who's with me right now.

"Fine," He replies to my surprise, "Ya get one try but if ya can't make me love fractions, ya gotta throw me a huge birthday party when I turn 18."

"Deal." I say and give him my hand to shake on it again. This time he takes it right away.

"And one more thing," He tells me, "Quit hoverin' around me like I'm gonna have a mental break down or somethin' I'm fine."

I look at him in surprise, I actually thought that I did good with keeping my distance apart from watching him play but to be honest, I did expect him to have some sort of mental breakdown at some point, most likely while playing one of his sad pieces that might have been inspired by what happened to him. "I doubt that you can be fine after everything that happened to you, but I try to keep my distance if you prefer."

"I don't give a crap about distance, just stop lookin' at me like I'm gonna start cryin' any sec." He tells me, "I mean I was in a gang when I was just 12 and the first time I was drunk was shortly after that, my first time with a guy was when I was just 13 and the first time dad lost me in a game was when I was 15 already, I don't know how many I screwed around with before that. Sure what happened on those nights with dad's buds ain't gonna make the cut for a place in the top five days of my live but they sure as hell ain't the worst either. I deal with it, I'm tougher then ya might think and not some freakin' damsel in distress."

"You can't be serious, what could possibly be worse then getting raped?" I can't help but ask.

He grins at me and I'm already certain that whatever the answer is, I won't take it serious. "Fractions." He says and I grin a little too, "So ya better get startin' to organize my party, and just so ya know, I wanna see my sis so ya better book a flight for her already."

With that he stands up and leaves the room to go into his own while I watch after him, I'm still worried about what happened to him and how well he really deals with it since he seems to be really good in hiding his sadness behind a fake smile, but at least he seems to be doing okay if he can already joke about it. And I'm even more pleased to notice how we seemed to be getting along much better during just a few weeks so maybe he can consider me a friend by the time he turns 18 and I can keep spending a little bit of time with my sweet little puppy.

* * *

**Authos Note:**

Thanks to sherabo, Violet-Eclipse and Guest for the reviews.

Next chapter is already the start of the end since in that one Joey might move out. It's his 18th birthday!

By the way, who can guess how Seto will be teaching him the notes or what the really funny side effect might be!


	4. 4 The end?

**4. The end?**

My time with my puppy is nearly up and his birthday party will be later today. I organised it even though I bet everything I have that he lied right to my face when he said he hated my fraction lesson. Prove is that I was allowed to continue to teach it to him. I always bought plenty of cakes cut them to pieces and he could eat it all as long as he could piece together a whole cake with parts of all without trying to move them first, he had to ad up the quarters, and eights of the cakes.

At least he can write down his music now even though I'm the only one who can read it since he actually draws cakes. A whole G note being represented by a whole chocolate cake, needless to say that it's his favourite note now nor that he's always getting hungry after writing down one of his master pieces which I need to translate before anyone else can understand it. But at least he seems to be getting happier over time. His music is filled with happiness most of the time now too and I love to listen to it even more then I did at the start.

He's still visiting his father twice a week but today he's going to skip out on it since he's going to pick up his sister right after school, I arranged for her to spend the weekend at my mansion with Joey. This way I can keep Joey for a few more days. I don't know what will happen after that since so far he hasn't addressed the issue of him moving out and I refuse to do it since I hope that he'll just stay with me since he probably doesn't know where to go, unless Duke offers to let him stay. His other friends probably don't have enough space, he's usually just spending his nights on a couch whenever he sleeps over at one of their places during his weekends.

He doesn't know that I paid for a nice apartment for a few month in advance just in case he really wants to leave. I don't want him having to take a few part time jobs just to hold on to a cheep place and have an even harder time keeping up in school as a result. I won't tell him that he has that option though, not until he asks me about leaving, because I much rather have him close to me.

I look up from my laptop because something moves in front of me while I'm sitting under a tree outside of school during lunch break. The cafeteria is much to noisy for my taste. "Do you need something?" I ask looking at no one else then my little puppy who just set down in front of me.

"Nope, I'm just sick of my pals makin' fun of ya." He replies to my surprise. "What ya doin'?"

"Work." I simply answer, "How comes that you're not the loudest one when it comes to make fun of me?"

"Very funny." He says with a tiny blush, "Ya sort of helped me, how can I make fun of ya now. They just don't really get it since they think that ya got my dad looked up in a mental place for gambling. I never told them with what he gambled and I guess they think he owed ya money or somethin' and that ya just where over reactin' and makin' me pay for what he's owin' ya"

"I definitely wouldn't have gotten him looked up for that." I say with a smug grin.

"See, ya can be nice." He says cheerfully.

"I would have taken everything he owns and sold it, leaving him to rot in the street." I finish earning an angry glare from him.

"Ya just sayin' that." He grumbles but looks at me slightly suspicious. "What time does Serenities flight land?" He asks after awhile.

"At four." I answer, "Don't worry, you'll easily make it there in time after your last lesson."

"Aren't ya comin' with me?" He asks.

"I'm sorry but I have to go into the office for a little while, but I'll be back in plenty of time to make it to the party that you're still not supposed to know about." I tell him with no intention of really being there until long past midnight. All of his friends will be there, basically half the school is invited to celebrate his birthday. And since his birthday isn't until tomorrow, their staying way past midnight. I'm going to have to deal with that lot for more then long enough even if I'm a few hours late and it's everything organized to work out perfectly even without my supervision.

"Promise?" He asks me and I look up at him in surprise. "I know ya hate parties, but ya promise to be there aren't ya? Latest at twelve to sing happy birthday with the rest won't ya?"

"I never sing." I simply say.

"But ya sing for me won't ya?" He asks still looking at me with his trustworthy eyes and that damned cute happy smile on his face.

"I don't even sing for Mokuba." I tell him.

"Ya kidding." He says outraged. "Ya his brother ya gotta wake him up by singing happy birthday."

"I go in with a bunch of maids and stuff and they all sing while I move my lips a little but no, I don't really sing." I inform him.

"Ya suck as a big brother." He states dryly. "But ya gotta sing for me or I'll be mad."

"Who cares." I say and hope that he won't be too mad. "I won't sing and that's final."

"We'll see. But ya gonna be there. Promise. Even if ya just lip sing, ya gotta be there." He orders me and I give a sigh and nod. "That's my boy."

"Shut up." I tell him fighting a blush.

"Ya really gotta go to work?" He asks sounding a little upset and I'm once again happy that we're much closer then we once where.

"I'm afraid I do." I tell him calmly typing on my laptop again already. "But I promise to try and be there before midnight."

Suddenly my laptop is closed and Joey is leaning way closer his hand on my laptop after shutting it, I just about got my fingers out of it before getting them crushed by him. "Fuck ya stupid tryin'. Ya gotta make it understood." He glares at me and I give a sigh.

Seems like I'm not getting around being present a little sooner then I had originally planed. I hoped that most of his guest would be gone by the time I show up but since he might leave soon, it's not the best of times to piss him off too much.

"I promise to be there." I tell him.

"No matter what?" He asks me still glaring at me.

"Well I can't calculate traffic jams." I defend myself.

"Screw the traffic, run if ya must as long as ya make it, no matter what." He insists again.

I watch him for a moment before I give yet another sigh and grumble, "I promise to make it, no matter what, and now let go of my laptop and NEVER just close it like that again understood"

"Sure I keep my paws of it as long as ya good. And thanks for the promise." He says and smiles again this god damned cute happy go lucky smile that only he can pull off. It's so irritating, how much I do, just to get to see that stupid smile on his face. It only got worse since he moved in. It seems that we didn't only get closer, I also fell for him even more then I already had before, how annoying. "Oh before I forget." He says and looks even more happy then before, "Ya did get me a present didn't ya?"

"Sure." I say, "The party."

"No way." He insists, "That's payment for making me learn fractions and makin' my stomach ache from all that tasty cake."

"You never complained about a sore stomach before." I say surprised, I never thought he even knew how that felt.

"Well I need a reason to say I didn't like it to get my party right." He says with a wicked grin before he adds, "So what ya gonna get me."

"A kick in the butt." I tell him slightly angered since he just admitted that he played me to get the party, which to be honest, he would have gotten anyway. But that doesn't mean that he can just play me like that.

"Yeah right," he says rolling his eyes, "And now seriously."

"Two kicks in the butt." I say before asking, "Did your friends tell you what you get because I highly doubt that I'm supposed to tell you what you get."

"So ya got me somethin' after all." He cheers. "And no they didn't tell me. But Yugi is always hidin' such stuff in his closet and there is a really cool black duel disk, so I hope ya ain't gettin' me that too but then again, to have a spare one mightn't be too bad. Tristan is always hidin' things under his bad and he got me a couple of booster packs. Téa is usually hidin' it in the locked drawer in her desk which I picked and she got me a voucher for a hair cut for which she is gettin' a kick in the butt. Duke on the other side is usually hidin' things in his office so it was a little harder to figure out that he got me a set to play DDM at home, his secretary told me though after a little bit of smilin'. To find out Serenities gift was the hardest but I pissed of mum with my constant naggin' and so she told me that she is givin' me two CD's with classical Music which she hopefully won't give me in public. She remembered how often I begged her to beg mum to play so she thought I might like it."

"I got it you know what you get from everyone." I summon up before he keeps counting up his presents. "Do you know where Mokuba is hiding his present for you too?"

"Like Tris, under his bed." He tells me grinning, "I can't wait to get that gamin' console together with the new games. Well to be honest I snug it out last night and played it a little before packin' it back up and sneakin' it back."

"You're the worst." I tell him.

"I didn't find anythin' in your room though." He complains.

I just glare at him. How dare he complain that he didn't find anything while looking through my room without permission. "You've been in my room?"

"Of course I was in your room." He tells me without the slightest bit of guilt. "I was curious."

"I should just hang you for that." I mumble but he simply ignores it. It really sucks to be in love, even after this I can't force myself to punish him by taking the piano or something like that. The only thing I want to do is spank his hot ass but even that I can't do because he probably would like that a lot less then losing his play time on my piano.

"And?" He asks curious after a moment of silence, "What did ya get me and where are ya hidin' it?"

"I'm hiding it right in front of your huge nose." I tell him with a smug smile.

I can nearly see the smoke rise from his head again while he tries to think about that. "Ya mean I get you?" He asks and I nearly die. "What? That's the only thing right in front of me right now." He explains after seeing me blush brighter then I have in years right after he reached his ridiculous conclusion.

"Just give it up," I tell him. "You won't find out until it's too late."

"Oh come on tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me." He probably would have gone on with his 'tell me' rubbish if I hadn't placed my hand over his mouth.

"I won't tell you and either you shut up or I won't be there for your party got it." I tell him and he just grumbles to him self that I'm a jerk. At least he doesn't look angry, just upset and curious.

It's quiet for about five seconds until he nearly screams, "I'm dyin' here so please would ya just tell me!"

"No." I simply say and regret it since he starts with his endless 'tell me' again. I try to stop him by putting my hand on his mouth but he moves back and continues his endless litany until I manage to pin him down and cover his mouth. He's still struggling though.

"Let go of our friend." I hear Tristan behind me and three people pull me away from Joey just so he can continue.

Everyone stares at him while he grins at me and says, "Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me." Over and over and over.

"Would someone please kill him." I ask annoyed.

"Let me guess, you didn't let him find your birthday present for him." Tristan asky effectively shutting Joey up who looks surprised at his friend.

"Of course not." I answer him.

"Then he'll keep it up until you give him your present." Tristan warns me.

"He never annoyed me." Téa musses surprised. "And he can't know since it's looked in my drawer."

"He can pick locks and knows about the voucher for a hairstylist." I tell her.

She pales and says, "But my diary is in there too."

"Oh don't worry," Joey tells her, "I got board of that years ago."

"You what?" She screams at him with a dark blush.

"Oh tell me Kaiba, pretty please with sugar on top." He tries with his puppy dog eyes having found out that he could get rather a lot from me when he uses those. And again, being in love sucks.

"No way." I just say not daring to look into his eyes right now, I know that the second I do, I'll lose.

"Oh come on." Joey whines and I sigh. "Please Kaiba, I do whatever ya want."

"All I want is for you to shut the hell up." I tell him. Well, that isn't really all I want from him, but all I can get...at last maybe.

"I will," He promises me, "right after ya tell me what I get."

"I told you," I say, "A kick in your butt."

"Yeah sure very funny." He says ironically. "And now seriously, what did ya get me."

"Nothing." I try to say as convincing as I can.

"Like I believe that." He says. "We're pals ever since we started to draw cakes all the time."

"You what?" Tristan asks confused while I just blush again. Something is seriously wrong here, I haven't blushed in years and now he makes me blush all the time. It is sort of true what he said though. He draws cakes and I translate them into notes nearly every evening as well as during the weekends a few times since he stays with his friends less frequently the longer he lives at the mansion. We really did grow closer with time.

"I never drew a single cake and if you dare to say otherwise again I will explain to everyone what exactly you're just talking about." I warn Joey.

"I'm good." He promises, "But ya gotta tell me what I get."

"You get nothing." I say threateningly, "But you'll lose your tongue if you don't quit annoying me right now."

"Oh come on, tell me, tell me, tell me." And here we go again.

Instead of fighting with him again I grab my stuff and stand up. It's two seconds until the bell rings anyway so I might as well head to class hopefully his pals will distract him again once we're there. Unfortunately they didn't succeed and I have to listen to his 'tell me' until school is over, apart from when the teacher is kicking him out of class for constantly whispering 'tell me' to me. I was never as happy to see the last of him as I am once I can finally head for work.

Once there I call a maid to ask if everything I said would arrive did arrive and I'm happy to hear that she organized everything the way I told her too and that Joey's present has been placed in the room I told her. The party is set to start right when Joey get's home with Serenity, it was supposed to be a surprise but of course he found out about it a long time ago since he already had ordered me to organise one, even though I had tried to let him think it was just a tiny party with Yugi and the gang on the afternoon of his birthday. At least Joey has promised to pretend to be surprised since Mokuba still believes that he has no idea and it was Mokuba's idea to have a Surprise Party the day before until way past midnight instead.

Said party will help keeping Joey away from the music room though, and his present is inside, at least the important part of it, the other one is right here in my pocket. It isn't a duel disk, it's much better.

I try to focus on work until my mobile rings the first time, it's Mokuba complaining that I'm late for the party and that Joey is already there with Serenity. Oh well, it's still a few hours until midnight and I must say that for once I'm not particularly keen on spending more time as necessary with Joey, at least until I can give him his present. I rather continue with work for a little longer and can sleep half an hour or hour longer in the morning, after all, the party might be going on into the early morning hours and I need to be at work tomorrow too.

A little later I receive another SMS, "Don't ya dare and break the promise! I wanna get my present at 12 o'clock and not a sec later." I don't really need to look at the number to know who wrote this one. Joey is getting more and more impatient, and here I thought that I'm supposed to be impatient.

I return to the mansion about teen minutes before midnight and take my time sneaking into the big party room. I sneak up to Joey from behind and as soon as it's midnight I say, "Happy birthday Joey." And hold out a chain with three keys. One is red, one is black and the other one is stripped in red and black. There is also a tiny grand piano in black and red hanging with the keys and he looks at me confused.

"What are those for?" He asks.

"The stripped one is for this mansion," I tell him, "Since your free to stay out past nine when the doors are looked."

"Cool." Joey cheers and already grabs the keys. "And the other two?"

"The red one is for your room." I say hopping that he'll still use it as such. "And the black one is for the room next to it to the right."

"Not the left?" He asks disappointed since that's the one where my grand piano is standing in, or rather was standing in.

"No, the one to the left." I say with a smile, "Since your present didn't fit into the room to the left together with my old one and I thought since you might enjoy to play with me every now and again on two, I placed my white one and your black and red birthday present into the so far empty room on the other side of your room." He stars at me and then at the tiny piano that hangs next to the keys.

"You're kiddin' me." He nearly screams. "Please tell me that ain't a joke, because if it is, it ain't funny to tease me like that."

"I'm serious. Like I said, your present was right in front of you, well, since this morning where it was delivered." I tell him with a wicked grin.

"Ya really, really serious?" He asks again and then surprises me with a hug tackle. Both of his arms as well as his lags are wrapped around me and he says, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you sooooooo much! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best."

I must say that I'm really happy to hear him say that, but at the same time I'm feeling slightly uncomfortable since everyone is staring at us and I try to lose myself from him gently and say, "No need to thank me, you know that my reasoning's for the present aren't completely unselfish."

"Yeah right, I know ya just tryin' to play cool again." He says rolling his eyes. "But ya know that I wanna have somethin' else." I just look at him questioningly praying that he doesn't mean what I fear and wants to move out. Unfortunately he doesn't want that, what he wants is worse, "I wanna have a birthday song."

"Okay." I say before I add lauder, "Everyone lets sing for the birthday boy."

Once someone else starts to sing I simply move my lips. Joey is moving his hand behind his ear and closer towards me trying to listen. Once he obviously doesn't hear me he puts a finger into his ear like he's trying to clean it and tries again. I feel myself blush slightly while I see Mokuba fighting a laughing fit while he tries to keep singing. While looking around I notice that he isn't the only one fighting the giggles. Why on earth does being in love mean I can't kill him. The song is nearly at the end when Joey's ear actually touches my face and I push him away a little. But I do sing the last line, even though it's more or less a whisper. "I heard him!" Joey cheered and I see Mokuba's jaw meet the floor. "He sang I heard him."

"Yeah, yeah and now shut up and get your other presents like a good boy." I say embarrassed and move away a little, certain that Joey will be sneaking out of the room in no time at all to have a look at his piano.

Mokuba is next to me soon and says, "You're in love with him."

I stare at him and pull him further aside from everyone else hoping that no one was close enough to hear him, "Are you crazy to just blur that out loud?"

"So you really are?" He asks not really surprised.

"Of course I am, why else do you think I'm helping him at all. But don't you dare tell anyone, he doesn't know and he can't find out understood?" I order him quietly while I look around to make sure that no one is within hearing range. It's pointless to pretend I'm not in love in front of my brother any longer. My best bet is to shut him up about that topic as long as I can.

"I thought it strange that you did, and I did think that you could be in love with him." Mokuba says, "I mean I always thought you hate him and you two hardly acknowledged each other at the start and only slowly grew closer. But still, it was so out of character for you to just let him stay and you're the one who tried to get closer so it's sort of obvious! So did you really love him all along?"

"I did," I say quietly, "But don't tell anyone, he mustn't know about that, he doesn't love me, he probably never will."

"Maybe he does." Mokuba says, "You two are getting along much better. Maybe he did fall for you by now"

"Don't tell him." I order sternly. "He doesn't love me and I don't want to lose what little bond we finally managed to establish, not while he can't afford a place for himself and might be forced to stay in the mansion understood."

"Yeah." Mokuba mumbles unhappily, "But you should tell him latest if he really does move out at some point, possibly before he wants to move out just to move in with a chick or another guy. You two would make a great couple."

"Just promise me to not get involved," I tell him and he watches me or a moment before he nods unhappily. "Thanks Mokuba, trust me, it's better this way."

"I doubt it." He says, "But you two are old enough to figure that out on your own."

I look around and say, "Excuse me a moment." I can't see Joey and decide to check the room with the two pianos. And sure enough my suspicions are right, he's already in here and looks at it happily. He can't even have gotten all of his other presents yet. "I hope you like it." I say and smile at him.

He turns around and looks at me, strangely there is no smile on his face anymore though. "It's really nice."

"Is something wrong?" I ask him, "You look sad."

"I'm fine." He says, "The present is really great I absolutely love it."

I watch him move his hands over the keys. I just had it tuned after it was restored and got a fresh coat of paint. It's a little bit older but after being restored it should be a really good one. "It sounds fine." He mumbles.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask and walk closer, "And don't say your fine because you aren't."

He's quiet for the moment and I wait until he answers, by now I know that he sometimes needs a little until he knows how to phrase something. "Did ya know that Téa's in love with ya."

"No I didn't." I answer honestly wondering where that is coming from and what it has to do with the strange look on his face. "Neither do I care to be honest."

"So ya don't like her?" He asks.

"I hardly know her." I tell him, "But what little I did notice of her I find rather annoying. Why are you talking about it? Did she ask you to?"

"No, and I guess she'd be pissed if ya tell her I did." He says, "I got it from her diary."

"I thought you grew tired of that years ago." I say with a grin remembering her reaction when he talked about it.

"I did." He says, "But I still got curious every now and then."

"Did she write something about you too, or what is wrong with you now?" I ask hoping to finally find out what's wrong with him.

"No," He answers, "I just, I was wonderin' about somethin' after the present ya gave me."

"What about it?" I ask.

"Ya gave me keys for this place." He says and looks sad, "I mean, I thought I only had to stay till I'm 18."

Now I fear that I might be the one to look sad but I try to fight it. "That's right." I say, "You're free to go whenever you please."

"Do I have to go?" He asks to my surprise. "I mean I don't know where to."

I watch him and give another sigh, seems like I have to tell him. "I can organize something for you whenever you want to. But your also free to stay." I know that it's probably pointless to ad the later part since I doubt he'll want to stay. But I don't tell him everything in the hope that he'll decide to stay for now.

"I can't afford some place ya might get me." He points out.

"But I can." I say fighting to keep my poker face in place.

"Why are ya doin' all of that?" He asks. "Ya said ya had to help me since ya might lose Mokuba if ya don't but now ya don't have to. So why are ya still so nice to me."

"I told you." I say fighting the blush, "I like you."

He looks at me for a moment and then asks, "How much?"

I stare and think about my answer while he just looks at me until he looks like he's close to crying and says, "I mean, ya once called me your puppy and all, after ya heard that song and found out about me bein' in a bit of trouble. But after ya got me out of that and here ya noticed me less then ya might notice a street dog that ya helped out of charity or stuff." I stare at him, how on earth can he think that I like him that little but before I can say anything he continues, "I mean I know ya like me a little more now and all but, how much? Do ya really want me around or are ya just doin' it to hear me play, ya always say how selfish ya are even though I don't really think ya are that bad and all and, I just don't get it. I don't know if ya even want me around for my music or if ya wish I was gone already."

I just stare at him and think about what I can say now. I can hardly say that I love him, he'll run for the hills if I do but what else can I say. After I just stare for a moment he walks by me towards the door behind me and mumbles, "Whatever, I guess the others miss me already."

"I love you." I say just before he can walk out of the door. I know it's a mistake and I know that he'll leave me now but I can't let him stay this confused and course him sadness due to that. I hear him stop but he isn't saying anything so I continue. "I loved you all along. I just always knew that you don't. I understand if you rather not stay within my range, now that you know, but you don't need to worry. I prepared a place for you in case you wanted to leave. I just didn't say anything because I hoped you'd stay that way. Everything is paid for and I made sure that there will be some staff that will cook and clean for you and keep the fridge filled on my costs as long as you accept that, or probably rather, might need to accept it since you're currently not earning any money of your own. You shouldn't have to worry about that though. I will stay away from you if you wish, I just want to know that you're well and looked after, because I really do love you and want nothing more then your happiness."

It's hard to say all that even though I don't have to look at him since he's still behind me right in front of the door. After a moment I hear his footsteps coming towards me until he must be right behind me. "Seto." I hear him whisper and turn around in surprise. It's the first time he uses my given name. Even after playing the piano together and that way slowly getting closer to each other he has never once used my given name. Well, it's not like we ever did anything else together then, draw cakes, as he called it. I watch his face, his eyes shine with happiness while he looks at me and stares into my eyes. "Did ya really mean that? I mean, not the leavin' part but, that ya…ya know." He asks still smiling.

"Yes." I whisper surprised at his reaction but still not daring to hope that he might return my feelings by now. "I love you."

I just finish saying that when I feel his hands on both sides of my cheeks and his lips on mine so fast that I have hardly anytime to notice, never mind react. The kiss is short but right after that he hugs me and says, "Then ya can forget about gettin' rid of me." I stare at him for another moment but just get another kiss from him, this time longer and I can't stop myself from pullin' him even closer into my arms until Mokuba just walks into the room.

"Hey, where the hell…" He starts to say and we both stop the kiss and turn to look at him, I also drop my arms but his hands are still around me, "Sorry for the interruption, but the guests start to wonder where you two are, well, whatever, I tell them that you still need a moment."

"No don't." Joey insists, "I wanna get my presents." And then he's out of the door and Mokuba just looks at me.

"Did I miss something?" He asks me.

"I think I did." I say.

Mokuba just looks confused towards me and asks, "You kissed, so I guess you're together, aren't you?"

"Beats me." I say, "I told him that I love him. He didn't exactly leave me a choice since he was confused too why I helped him and wanted to know how much I like him and well, I had to say it."

"And what did he say?" Mokuba asks.

"He called me by my given name and kissed me." I reply. "Oh and he said that he would like to stay for a little longer and kissed me again but that's basically it."

"He kissed you so I'd say the case is solved." Mokuba says with a smile, "Or did you ever take Joey for one to hold a speech? He's a guy of action so he kisses someone when he loves him."

I can't help but smile but then say, "Either way, we should return to his party or people might wonder where we are."

"Fine." Mokuba says and we both return to the party.

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**Authors note: **Thanks to Violet-Eclipse, dancing elf, SailorDeathMoon, sherabo, punkfluff and Raven6921 for the reviews.**  
**

Well, how sad we're getting closer to the end of this short tale of love. But next chapter you find out a little about Joey's feelings and thoughts and if he really does love him or if it was something else that overcame him like the little bit of bear he had on his party already.


	5. 5 Joey's heart

**Warning:** Joey is really confused and will be a bit of a jerk at times and repeatedly think the same things since he's just really confused about his own feelings but at the end it'll be a little better.

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**5. Joey's heart**

I can't believe it. Kaiba said that he loves me. And I kissed him. Why on earth did I just kiss him? I mean I like him and maybe I might be thinking for sometime now that he's really hot and sexy and all that and granted, I sort of threw a jealous fit when I was alone in Téa's room and read that she's hot on him too but still. I just kissed him. Well I guess I'm dating moneybags now, or am I? I didn't actually say anything and thinking he's hot and loving him are two really different things.

I slowly walk back to the party happy that Mokuba interrupted before I had to talk to Seto some more. And even more happy that I really can stay with him for a little longer since I truly wouldn't have known where to go.

"There you are." Yugi says once I walk back into the huge ball room where tables have been placed and chairs all around as well as a DJ in a corner with space as a dance floor in front of him. "Happy birthday pal."

"Hey Yug." I say with a smile and take the present he's holding out. I don't even pretend to be surprised anymore since we talked about the presents this morning but of course I'm happy about my new cool duel disk anyway and put it on my arm right away to show it off. "Thank's Yug that's great."

"Just great?" Yugi asks smiling, "The last few years you said about my presents that it was the best present you got yet."

"Well it's the second best one, but now that I'm sort of closer to Kaiba who happens to have a gamin' company and is filthy rich, ya gotta be faster then him." I tease with a smile.

"I hope he didn't give you the same one since it is from KC." Yugi says worried.

"Nope." I calm him, "It doesn't actually have anythin' to do with games, even though I can play with it." I grin at his confused look. "Give it up ya never figure it out. But the best part is that I got keys for this place so now I'm not standin' in the cold if I wanna go out with ya guys till past nine."

"That's great." Yugi says, "So he also isn't kicking you out like you feared."

"Nope," I say. "I'm stayin', at least for now."

"And for how long?" Yugi asks me.

"I guess until we break up." I say with a little blush.

Yugi stares at me with his mouth open. "You mean until you two fight again and your friendship ends, right?"

"That too." I confirm partly.

Téa and the others are walking over to us and I sort of worry how she'll react. I mean I did over react a little since she only mentioned once or twice on the pages I read that he's really sexy and she would like to get a little closer, or rather a lot closer in a physical way, but she hadn't written once that she loves him. I hope she doesn't love him. At least not enough to be pissed that I kissed him and that he said that he loves me.

"Here." Téa says and hands me the voucher in an envelope. I don't even look inside since she knows that I know. "And by the way, I moved my diary and if you ever dare to even look for it or read it I'm going to kill you."

"Don't worry, I mean the most interestin' thing was that you think Kaiba is a jerk because it's mean and selfish of him to hide his sexy ass under a way too long coat all the time." I say and see her blush while the rest of the gang chuckles.

"Ya got the hot's for Kaiba?" Tristan asks, still laughing a little.

"Well, he's got a great ass, but that's all, he's sexy but I'm not stupid enough to fall in love with a gigantic jerk like him. I mean he's a total jerk and not just because of his coat." She says in her defends and I'm sort of glad to hear it. Even though I don't like that it means that I must be stupid to fall for a gigantic jerk like him, if I did. I'm not sure about it though.

Tristan laughs but I just say, "Well, he's not a total jerk, he's lettin' me stay even though he doesn't have to."

"Really?" Tristan asks surprised, "I don't know what's more shocking, that he's allowing you to stay or that you sound like it's a good thing that you're going to stay here."

"It is a good thing since I don't have anywhere else to stay," I say, "Well unless I let him pay for some place which he said he would. Or rather he already has in case I want to go I can anytime and he pays."

Everyone stares at me. "Who said that and why don't you take that offer if you really have that option." Duke asks me after a moment.

"He told me about that and I don't take that offer because I wouldn't have Seto there." I say with a little blush and hear the door open behind me, the one I just walked through to get back here. I turn and see Seto and Mokuba walk through, "Well, if ya talk of the devil there he comes." I say and lean up to give Seto another kiss, partly to let the others know that I'm with him, at least, sort of with him, but mostly because he isn't just good looking, he's also one hell of a kisser. He still looks sort off shocked that I do that, but he's hiding it so well that I'm not sure if I'm just imagining it. "What took ya so long to get back?"

"Mokuba had a few questions." He answers as calm as always while my friends stare at us like we're no less then the ghosts of aliens or something even more strange. I wish I had a camera to make a picture of their faces, their priceless.

"No surprise, I would have more then a few questions if I saw my sister kissin' some guy all alone in a room when she should be at a party." I say and the look on my friends faces are even funnier then before.

"You two…are kissing?" Tristan asks disgusted.

"Like she said," I say pointing towards Téa. "He's hot. And on top of it, he's sort of nice to me."

"Sort of?" I hear him say.

"Yeah sort of, ya didn't tell me what I'd get for my birthday before I got it." I grumble.

"Fine," He says, "Next time I tell you, preferably after your friends show up."

"Please don't," I say, "Tell me when we're alone."

"Then don't pester me when they're around." He suggests.

"No way," I complain, "If I do ya just gonna hang around them to shut me up."

"I guess I rather take your pestering then that lot anyway. But like I said, I could tell you in front of them." He says with that annoying smug smile on his face, he knows that he wins if he threatens that since I don't really want them to find out especially not from him and I hate it when he thinks he's winning.

Well I can still let him lose. "Fine tell me when they're around. Guys I can play piano and love it and I got a rally cool lookin' grand piano from him and I love it." After that I look towards Seto, "Now next time ya can tell me everythin' in front of them." And with that I stick out my tongue.

"And now you can play the piano even if we have company." He points out still with that smug smile.

"Screw you." I mumble upset that he won after all. But I have to admit that it is sort of fun to bicker like this.

"You really can play the piano? It always looks so complicated, the notes alone look tricky." Yugi says.

"You should see them when Joey writes it down." Seto says with a grin, "I tried to teach him enough about fraction to learn the notes by giving him cakes and now he draws cakes instead of notes." Why does that guy have to get all chatty when he's embarrassing me with it? Maybe I should think it over and dump him right away, or latest tomorrow morning when I'm completely sober, after all I did have two or three beers so far. Wait, can I dump him if I never said that I'm dating him?

"That's what you where talking about in school." Tristan says.

"Yeah." I admit, "To be honest, I think I got the notes too, but watchin' him deceiver my cakes is way more fun then tryin' to think of how to draw what note."

"If that's the case I stop the translation and if you don't show Miss Johnson your pieces in notes she's sure to torture the whole class about them again." Seto points out.

"That was because of you?" Tristan complains.

"Sorry, Seto please keep helping me I promise to try and learn the notes but I'm really still not sure about them please don't be mad." I beg and give him my puppy eyes, after all, they seem to work wonders as soon as he looks into them.

And it does once again, just this time he also moves his arm around my waist, very slowly and I already know that he's worried about what happened to me with dad's gambling buddies again, probably wondering if it's okay to touch me even though he hardly is doing that. I know he still worries about me a lot since he still looks at me like I'm about to burst into tears all the time.

I mean it sure as hell wasn't nice and hurt like a bitch but it's not like I don't know that it would be different with him. I had guys before and remember how nice that was, well as long as the guy was half way nice and I bet that Seto is three times as gentle as any of those. He might try to look tough and careless but once you really get to know him, it's obvious that he ain't as bad as he makes everyone think. I bet he's as tame as a kitten in bed, but I better never point that out or he'll be pissed like hell. It might be interesting to find out someday if he'll try to prove me wrong and turns into a tiger on me but whatever, I'm not about to let those bad memories fuck up my whole live so I wish he'd stop worrying.

"Don't worry, I keep helping you, after all who else is going to make sure that your master pieces are preserved for future generations." He says, watching my face to see how I react to his touch.

"Master pieces?" I ask jokingly as always knowing that he hates it, "Ya mean when I mess around on the piano?"

"You better learn the notes." He grumbles and I grin.

"We had a deal." I point out.

"Your 18 the deals up." He says with his smug smile. "You'll have to learn them now."

"Nope, I got my own piano so ya can't make me do nothin'." I say grinning.

His smile is threateningly dangerous but all he says is, "We'll see." And I have a strong feeling that I'll be sitting around learning notes very, very soon. I really hate his smug smile.

"Sure we will." I say trying to show off that I'm sure I won't and I have an idea how I might get around it. I give him a slightly more heated kiss as before, firstly to prove that I'm not going to burst into tears that easily and secondly to distract him, after all that's my best bet against him. The look on his face shows it all, he does still treat me like a damsel in distress and thinks that I'm just as fragile as one. I better show him that I'm not, and I better show him that really soon, I can't wait to see his face when I try to seduce him for the first time….Wait did I just actually already think of seducing that guy? I was just wondering if I should break up moments ago! What the hell is wrong with me?

"Go get a room." Tristan says after the kiss.

"Great idea." I reply with a grin and actually walk towards the door grabbing Seto's hand, mostly to see his reaction as well as the one on my friends face, but I also hope that if I get to seduce him now, I can say it was due to the beer later, if I want to break up.

Unfortunately though, he doesn't budge an inch and just points out, "It would be incredibly rude to disappear while you have guests."

"So what?" I ask just to earn a weak version of his death glare and add, "Fine, we can still do the rest later." And I fully intend to do just that, unless of course the party goes on for so long that my sleepiness wins out over the mood I'm currently in. Which could happen. Of course it could as easily happen that he pisses me off before hand. "Come on lets dance." I say and try to pull him to a different direction, but once again, he just won't budge.

"I don't dance." He says.

"Ya said ya don't sing either but guess what, ya did." I point out and try to pull him again with about as much success as before.

"I really, don't dance." He says again and glares at me even worth then before.

"Great." Duke says with a wink. "Then how about I dance with you Joey." Now he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the dance floor. I follow slightly disappointed but I can still try to talk Seto into dancing later. "Don't worry." Duke says once we're on the dance floor. "After about teen seconds dancing with me, he'll be all over you."

I wonder what he means with that but not for long, once we're on the dance floor I'm much closer to him then I think Seto will like me to be and have a hard time keeping his hands from my butt. "Would ya please slow down?" I ask him, "Or else I ain't gonna get to dance with Seto for ages because he's gonna be looked up in jail for killin' ya."

"Come on, let me have some fun once in a while." He says with a wicked smile.

"Who do ya wanna make jealous?" I ask. I know the guy, he's worse then Seto in some ways because he tries to look reasonably nice while everyone of his moves is at least as calculated as Seto's. Being forced into a doggy outfit by someone teaches ya a lesson about said someone. I mean he's a friend so he won't course me any trouble, at least not too much, but he will use me when he thinks it save to do so.

"Top secret." He says. Well at least he isn't denying it that he shamelessly uses me and I sort of hope that it'll work for me too.

Unfortunately it doesn't work. After the song is over I look around just to notice that Kaiba disappeared again already. I guess his hatred for parties won. Oh well, since I live with him I'll get to see him sooner or later for sure. Wow that sounds freaky, we just got together, if that's what we are and we're already living together…I really don't know why but I'm starting to get the feeling that he somehow planned for this to happen all along and was only so nice all of a sudden to get into my pants. Well maybe a little more than just that but still. I've got to ask him about it.

Whatever, I enjoy the rest of my birthday party to the fullest. I dance with some of my pals and some hot chicks who flirt with me, probably mainly because I'm their ticked into the grand Kaiba mansion but it does feel great to be swarmed by tons of hot chicks, it simply does wonders for your confidence even if your gay. But the best thing is knowing that even though most of them only want me as a steep in to get another guy, said guy seems to have fallen head over heals for me.

But even though the party is great, I'm really happy to see the backside of my last guest walking away from the mansion. Especially since by then the light outside is blindingly bright already. I walk up towards my room and walk into no one else then Seto. "Good morning." He says looking way to well rested for someone who should have been on my birthday party.

"Good night." Is all I say and walk past him. Even though I guess that I'm sort of dating him and he did a lot of nice things for me, for which I'm grateful, it still pisses me of that he's that bright and well rested when he should have been on my party and just as tired as I am.

And to top it of he just keeps on walking out. I know he probably got to go to work but still, it pisses me of that he doesn't even say anything. I really hope for his sake that I'm less pissed off after sleeping for a little while.

After I slept for a few hours I go to Yugi's and talk to him a little more about what happened between me and Kaiba and he too thinks that having kissed him clearly means that we're dating, since he confessed right before. I don't know if that's such a great idea so. I mean, he's a great kisser and clearly really hot but still, he's a jerk.

Well, he used to be one, great now I'm even more confused. After talking to Yugi and the rest about him and hearing Yugi defend Seto while Téa and Tristan remind me of everything Kaiba did, from calling me a mutt to hitting me and throwing me to the floor, my head is spinning so badly that I'm getting a headache and just want to crawl into bed again and hopefully, never weak up again.

Unfortunately Seto's limousine drives by me while I walk the miles along his driveway towards his front door. Once he's out of the vehicle he waits for me. "How are you today?" He asks me once I'm there while I walk past him towards the entrance.

"Still tired." I just say wondering what I should do. Should I stay together with him or rather run off to stay with one of my pals. I most certainly won't accept any charity from him after dumping him, if it's even counted as dumping since I never once said that I'm going out with him, I mean I was already slightly drunk the previous night and just flirting and kissing a little, well maybe a little more.

"Dinner will be ready now." He points out. "Will you have some or are you even too tired for that?"

"I'm never to tired for food." I tell him.

"Good," He says, "Then let's go."

I walk next to him in silence and wonder why on earth he fell in love with me in the first place. The only thing we ever really talked about is music or duel monsters and right now I've got absolutely no idea what I can talk to him about. Once we're there I see Mokuba sit at the table and smile at him. "Hey kiddo."

"Hey." He says smiling back, "How's our new couple doing?"

I freeze. Did he just call us a couple? Did he have to name us that. What am I supposed to do now? If I don't say anything it'll be the same as if I'll say it myself. But I'm still not really sure if that's what I want. I've got it, I just say, "Are we that? Because I thought that he should at least dance with me on my birthday then." There he's got it. I didn't say we are but I didn't have to say we're not either. Man I'm the worse, I'm completely leading him on without even knowing if I want to be with him. Now that I think about it, I even wanted to screw around just for the fun of it knowing that he loves me, I wonder who of us is the bigger jerk right now and fear that it's me.

"Not every couple is all about dancing with each other." He says while I just blush and look away, tying to look upset which should be easy since I'm still a little pissed with him.

"I'm not all about it." I mumble, "But it's my birthday, ya could have at least danced with me once when I ask ya."

"That's what you get for having a stubborn boyfriend." Mokuba says and I blush even more. Honestly, does he have to say it so clear all the time. First he calls us a couple and now he calls him my boyfriend. How am I supposed to get around it this time.

On top of it the maids are just serving the dinner and I don't really want to start anything while their around. What am I supposed to do apart from blushing and looking away which I can't help but do. I notice him watching my reaction, maybe he can guess that I'm not exactly comfortable with it. He should know, he always behaves like he knows everything so haw can't he notice this. I hear him sigh before he says, "Mokuba, please stop saying such things. He never said that we're together so please stop assuming things." Wow, I wonder if that guy is a flipping mind reader, he really did notice.

"But he kissed you." Mokuba points out, "And right after you confessed. He wouldn't lead you on like that if he didn't mean the kiss. So it's a given that your together."

"Please stay out of this Mokuba." Seto says again and I feel only worse now that Seto is helping me while Mokuba calls things by it's name, I am mean for doing what I do but I really don't know what I should do right now.

"Say something Joey." Mokuba says, "I'm right aren't I? I mean you do love him right."

"Didn't I just ask you do stay out of this?" Seto says before I can even consider answering Mokuba's question and I have to admit that I'm damn grateful for that. I mean what was I to say to Mokuba of all people. I kissed him because I was drunk and hell he's a heck of a kisser but I'm not sure if I want to date him? Sure he'll love hearing that.

"But…" Mokuba mumbles but thanks to Kaiba's death glare he stays quiet and just looks at me questioningly for awhile. But not for long. He helps himself to a big plate full of the dinner and then stands up taking the plate into his hand. "Well then I leave and let you two sort this out on your own. Let me know what I'm allowed to say afterwards." And then he leaves with a pout.

Seto gives a sigh and simply starts eating like nothing has happened. For now I follow his example and still think about what I'll do later. Once I'm stuffed with all the tasty stuff I leave.

I don't reach the door before he speaks to me about this after all, "The offer for you to move out still stands."

I turn and look at him. He's still sitting in the same spot even though he finished his food long before I did. Well to be perfectly honest, he hardly ate at all. I watch him for a moment before I walk closer again, back to my seat and watch his face. He doesn't really look at me but his face is as calm as always, absolutely businesslike. "Ya really love me, don't ya." He doesn't look like it right now but I still remember his words from last night, and he sure as hell wouldn't have said anything like it if he didn't mean it, I mean like REALLY mean it. A bit of a crush would never pull such sappy stuff from Seto Kaiba.

"I think I made that clear." He says and the way he puts the emphasis on the second I, it's clear that he is upset that I didn't make it as clear and still am the one to ask about his feelings.

"I know." I say and watch his face which still hasn't changed.

He's quiet for a moment but then says, "I probably shouldn't have said anything."

"No," I say, and I mean that, I'm happy to know that he likes me, I was worried from day one that he'd kick me out onto the street or torture me while I'm here since we didn't exactly see eye to eye before. "Why do ya like me?" I ask him, I was wondering for sometime, since he told me about his feelings I was wondering about why he loved me. "I mean, ya said ya do and are nice now, but ya always pissed me off and picked on me and stuff. I just don't get it why ya changed all of a sudden and started likin' me."

"I liked for quiet some time. To be absolutely honest, I liked you for as long as I know you." He says looking away a little instead of just looking to his empty plate but other then that his face doesn't really change. "I just didn't want anyone to notice since I'm reasonably sure that you wouldn't have reacted too favourable if I'd told you about my feelings right away. That's why I always picked on you, I didn't want to get hurt."

I fight a chuckle, I'm actually overjoyed with the fact that it's so clear in his voice that he absolutely loathes it to admit that he doesn't want to get hurt. The great Seto Kaiba is afraid of getting hurt, how cute. Well I'm not mean enough to say anything about it but I still like the fact that he has a bit of a weakness too. "Then why did ya start bein' nice all of a sudden? I mean it isn't like ya had more of a chance then."

"You needed me." He answers, "When I heard your song I feared that you might be in trouble, exactly that kind of trouble you turned out to really be in. I was afraid that it was even worse though and helping you was more importantly then preventing myself from getting hurt a little." Great, now I feel bad for thinking that it was funny that Kaiba had to admit something like that to me since he actually did more for me then I thought. It must have cost him quiet a bit to jump over his own shadow and risk getting hurt just to help me. "Anything else you want to know?" He asks and I can hear that he really doesn't like this conversation and I'm not surprised at all. I'm more or less forcing him to admit to a lot, well he could just not answer or lie. He could even pretend that it was all a joke but since he likes me and I actually kissed him, raising his hopes to some degree by doing that, he probably can't do either of that and has to answer. I can't help but feel smug about cornering the great Seto Kaiba into admitting all that stuff to me.

"No," I say, "Not really, just, no forget it."

He watches me for a moment and then says, "Spit it out already. It's not fair to say something like that and then just stop. You're making me curious"

"I don't have anymore questions." I whisper hardly loud enough for him to hear.

He watches me again for awhile and then says, "Whatever, if you choose to leave after all just let me know, like I said an apartment for you has already been prepared just in case."

"Won't you be sad if I leave?" I ask, after all I absolutely believe that he's more then just in love with me, he must have absolutely lost it since he's saying so many sappy things.

"Not as long as you aren't." He says, "Watching you walk around here miserably or even kissing me just to be distend the next moment is worse."

Man that stings. I already got it that I'm a jerk right now no need to tell me. "I'm sorry, I just, was a little drunk and didn't think about what I did. And, well, I…oh forget it."

"I hate it when you do that." He says and for once I can see the hurt in his eyes, since I said that I was drunk and didn't think about what I did he looks like I drowned his puppy or something.

"Do what." I ask confused, what on earth did I do now, apart from telling him that I mainly kissed him thanks to the beer but it sort of didn't sound like he meant that.

"Starting to tell me something and then say I should forget it." He says. "You did it a few moments ago and now again."

"Sorry, but it's not easy to tell someone who used to be a total jerk and who's guts you hated that ya can think of nothing else than that ya want to kiss his brains out." I blurt out and then blush. He just stares at me confused, I better try to explain it a little. "Well I used to hate ya, and all of a sudden your nice to me and I don't get it and then ya just stand there while I think that I'm gonna be on the streets in a few hours and ya tell me that ya love me and that ya would do so much for me as to pay for everythin' even if I don't wanna see ya. How on earth was I to react then kiss ya. I mean I was happy and then it feels so nice and I keep kissing ya and then ya don't even wanna dance."

"Complain about that one more time and you get your wish but I swear to god that your feet won't thank me." He grumbles.

"That's not even the point." I continue my rant. "It's just, I don't know what to do, I used to hate ya and all of a sudden I just wanna screw ya all the time and it's not even just that. I mean I told ya that I did that with guys before while I was in a gang. I had sex with guys and girls and all but it never meant anythin' and now ya here and make my heart race, my head spin, my knees wobbly and I don't know what to do. I just don't know what to think of it, I mean I suddenly like someone I used to hate and then ya love me so damn much but I…I don't know how much I can return that, I like ya, but I'm not sure if it's as much as ya like me and I don't wanna hurt ya by tryin' something that won't work out. I mean I get that I hurt ya even more right now but I just don't know what do to. I'm not a freaking genius that always knows everythin' and even can read my freakin' mind."

He stares at me but then he smiles a little. "Fine." He says. "I tell Mokuba to give you time and to stop saying such things and we'll see how it works out. We do whatever your comfortable with, and if it gets too much you can tell me."

I stare at him. He does get that he might get hurt that way doesn't he? I mean, what if I suddenly find out that I like him but not really love him as much as he loves me? What if it isn't enough? I don't want to hurt him, but I do want to try it with him. I want to kiss him again. I wanted that all day long, and I still keep on wondering if he'll really be like a kitten in bed. I nod and he takes my hand in his for a moment and leans over to give me a kiss.

"What on earth was that?" I ask him after the tiny peek on the lips.

"A kiss." He says, "Why was it too much."

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me." I say and grab his tie and pull him closer to really kiss him before I say, "That's a kiss." And a few hours later, I know that I wasn't right. He isn't as tame as a kitten in bed. Compared to him, a kitten is a tiger. I so need to wake up his inner tiger and prove him that I'm not gonna break from a simple touch.

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**Authors note: **Thanks to punkfluff, dancing elf, Violet-Eclipse, sherabo, SailorDeathMoon and noffermans for the review.

Next chapter is already sort of an epilogue about how that trying ended. But considering how he talked about his feelings to Seto are it's obvious that Joey's already head over heals right?


	6. 6 The future

**6. The future.**

I leave the limousine and let it drive off. I just stand here in the darkness that's only lit by a few lights from the mansion and the moon which is just starting to grow again. I can already hear the beautiful melody that Joey is playing. It must be him, no one else can produce such sounds on the Piano. I just stand here in front of my own door and listen to him through the open window of the piano room as we call it since there is nothing else in there but five pianos. Two big ones and three small one. After listening to the happy but gentle and slightly lulling tune I open the door and silently walk upstairs. The house is silent apart from the music while I walk past Mokuba's room. He moved out a few years back when he went to college, but his room is still his. He doesn't visit as often as he used to since he got engaged but he still uses that room whenever he's there and even ensured to have a bigger bed since he's got his boyfriend. Not that I'm particularly pleased that my kid brother is going to be Siegfried's brother in law but I can deal with it, as long as Leon is nice to him and Mokuba is as happy as he was the last time I saw him.

I walk to the door a little further and quietly open it. Inside is a young boy who must have fallen asleep reading a book again. I walk inside and put the book aside after leaving a mark on the page that's open and move my hand gently over the black hair of my son. I smile, I never forget how Joey suddenly walked into my office and said, "Seto, I'm board out of my mind, either you find me something to do that's more fun and more work then this stupid job here or I move out."

I can't help but smile at the memory. Guess the fact that he's happily playing a lullaby is prove that I did manage to keep him occupied. I simply cut down his ours and adopted our first child.

Said memory reminds me. I walk over to the next room to see said child lying on his bad with a gaming console still in his hand. I turn off the TV and the game since Jaden has lost it already anyway. He probably fell asleep in the middle of it and I smile at the boy who I adopted first because he is so much like Joey.

A couple of month later Joey was back in my office one morning while Jaden was in school. Apparently Jaden was constantly board and wanted to have siblings. He was also constantly talking about his best friends who had little chance of finding a home because they refused to be separated from each other since they where biological siblings. It didn't take long for me to be over ruled by my Husband and my son and soon we hat three kids running around. Fortunately, Seth is very calm and dependable. He's actually a great help with keeping the other two in line.

I walk another door further and there is our smallest child. I can hardly see her because her bed is so full with cuddly toys that it's hard to make out the little white haired girl in their midst. Especially since her hair is covering her face completely. While I watch her I do get a glimpse of her face though because she suddenly sits up, puts her hair back behind her ears and then she lets herself drop to the side. It's a good thing her bed is so big, not that it stops her from falling out occasionally, but I bet she would have fallen out of a normal sized bed every single night. It would also be hard to squeeze all the cuddly toys into a normal sized bed. After she let herself drop back onto the bed, her face is covered with hair all over again and I smile at my little wild thing. At first I had believed Joey and Jaden to be wild. But Josephine tops them both.

I walk back out of the room, in her case, without turning off the light since that's about the only way to wake her up in the morning and I don't want her to wake up now. I follow the melody of my husbands piano play and can't help but smile. I love to listen to it so much. And I can't believe that he actually is my husband now. It all started out so badly for us. He used to hate my guts, not that I can blame him, I didn't exactly treat him all that good to ensure that no one would find out about my feelings for him, but all that changed thanks to his music.

I heard him play a song and it all changed. Thanks to that song I found out about the abuse he had to endure for a while due to his fathers gambling problem and I helped him out of it. After a very rocky start during which he hardly talked at first we slowly got closer and by the time he could have moved out again, he returned my feelings. He wasn't sure about his own feelings at the time, but I was sure he loved me. Right after he said that he wanted to kiss me all the time and that I made his heart beat faster and his head spin I knew that he really loved me, just that he didn't know those feelings. And he wasn't the kind of guy to just blurt them out anyway. I knew I would have to wait but he actually told me that he loves me rather soon after that. He just said it one day while we both played our Pianos together and I helped him learn notes. He just suddenly said, "I'm sick of notes. I love ya, so what ya think about a bit of makin' out instead."

By now he finally is able to write down his master pieces without drawing any cakes. He still draws them anyway at times, just for the fun of it, and because he actually taught our daughter to read his system after she had started to just play on his Piano one day. He hadn't taught her, but she is nearly as much of a talent as he is when it comes to music. However she prefers the harp. She has a big one in the music room and a very small one that she can carry which is in her room, or rather, nearly always with her.

One of the smaller pianos is hers though and she does play it sometimes with her daddy. The other small once belong to the boys. Jaden hardly looks at it but we didn't want him to feel left out just because he only likes to listen to music and not to play it. Seth on the other side is trying very hard to learn to play the piano just that he doesn't have as much talent as his sister. But he tries his best and is a smart boy who learns most things with ease which is helpful.

Once I stand in the doorway the music changes ever so slightly into something more energetic and I know that he's in the mood to look our bedroom door from the inside. I smile at him and listen quietly until he stops to play. "Hey hun, what took ya so long to get home?"

"My apologies, but I had a bit of work pilled up since I came in late I think you know why." I say reminding him on how he didn't want to let me go after the boys left for school and our little girl was in kindergarten.

"Well I was board." He says without the tiniest bit of remorse. "Is that against the law?"

"Maybe I should reconsider giving you that job at the office again." I mention not meaning it at all. If he wants to work again, it won't be at Kaiba Corp. I get even less work done if he's around as if I simply have a hard time getting out of bed because of him.

"Only if ya don't pester me for havin' a bit of fun durin' workin' hours." He says with a grin and I know that he's thinking of all the times we did it in my office.

"That isn't going to happen." I say, "If you come in for work, you'll have to work."

"Then how about ya hire me to organize some fun for ya." He says with a wicked grin.

"Considering the melody you just played, I doubt very much that I would need to pay you for that." I point out.

"Ya noticed it and still aren't screwin' me?" He complains with a pout.

"The door is unlooked and the kids are in the house." I remind him. "Or do you want to explain to our daughter what we're doing if she walks in on us?"

"Sure," He says, "Makin' baby's."

"You do realize that two guys can't do that and that Seth already has told her that since she actually was hopping for you to get pregnant." I remind him.

"I still don't get why I'm the one gettin' pregnant in her little fantasy world." He grumbles with his cute little put.

"You're the mum. I'm working." I say earning his best attempt to mimic my death glare, not completely successful but not bad either.

Still he walks over to me and then kisses me fiercely. I love his lips on mine, always hungry for more. I gave up wondering how he can do this after everything he's been through a long time and know that a business man like me probably just can't keep up with a street punk like him in that one area at least. "If ya want me, ya better behave." He says then and walks out of the door.

I grin a little but stay quiet. Joey can be a bit troublesome when he's pissed with me. He knows how to turn me on with ease by now and uses it to torture me whenever he's mad at me. Once he refused to sleep in the same room for two month simply because I mentioned in front of his friends that he does have a bit of a feminine side on him, at least when around the kids, and that really pissed him off.

I follow him towards our room and move an arm around him once we're close, "My apologies, will you forgive me?"

"Don't know." He says but I can see his grin and know that he's playing a little. If he was mad, his eyes wouldn't sparkle the way they do.

There is a fire in his eyes that shows that he wants to play a little with me and by now I know his wild side well enough to go along asking, "How about I make it up to you by organizing some tasty treat like ice cream and well I'm sure you can imagine the rest." I guess ice is a better suggestion then the doggy leash under my bed.

Since he said to me, right in front of Yugi, that Yugi's knew kitten would probably be a wilder lover then me, I don't really try to be especially gentle with him. He clearly likes it a little rougher so why not give him what he wants. "That sound's great, but ain't enough unless it's with chocolate."

"I love you." I whisper before getting any ice cream though. And I really do mean it. Back when I first told him, I didn't know how deep love could get, but with every day I spend with him I love him more and couldn't live another day without him anymore.

I see him smile at me and he gives me a kiss before he whispers, "I love ya too, my sappy little kitten."

Okay I might love him, but I still wish I could kill him at times.

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**Authors note:** Thanks to noffermans, punkfluff, SailorDeathMoon, Raven6921, Violet-Eclipse and sherabo for reviewing the last chapter and thanks to everyone else who faved this story put it on alert or even just read it to the end. I hope all of you enjoyed it.

Sadly this story ended but I'll soon be working on a new one.


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